Methods and means for modulating flowering time in monocot plants

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to the identification of monocot FLC sequences, such as wheat FLC sequences, as well as their uses in modulating flowering time, seed development and seed germination.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/902,317 filed Dec. 30, 2015, which is a 35 U.S.C. 371 National Phase of PCT Application No. PCT/EP2014/063985 filed Jul. 1, 2014, which claims priority to European Patent Application No. 13174566.3 filed Jul. 1, 2013, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated in their entireties by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of plant molecular biology and concerns a method for modulating flowering time. More specifically, the present invention concerns a method for accelerating or delaying flowering time, comprising altering expression and/or activity of a FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) gene and/or protein in monocot plants. The invention also provides chimeric genes, nucleic acids encoding such monocot FLC proteins.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Flowering plants have evolved an enormous complexity and diversity in the developmental transition from vegetative to reproductive growth. Environmental and internal cues are integrated in a quantitative flowering response that varies between species and even between ecotypes (Anderson et al (2011) Trends Genet. 27: 258). Plants growing in temperate climates use photoperiod or day-length, in addition to vernalization or low temperatures to sense the passing of winter into optimal reproductive environmental conditions (Amasino et al (2010) Plant Physiol 154: 516). The elaboration of reproductive development in flowering plants is associated with the origin and diversification of developmental control genes, most prominently members of the MADS-box transcription factor family. The origin of several subfamilies of MADS-box genes with crucial roles in the floral transition remains shrouded in mystery, in that they appear to be present in just flowering plants or in specific lineages of flowering plants.

One lineage of MADS-box genes with a highly enigmatic origin is the clade of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) genes. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, FLC is a central repressor of the floral transition (Michaels & Amasino (1999) Plant Cell 11, 949), where it inhibits flowering by directly repressing the activity of central flowering promoters, namely SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS (SOC1), FLOWERING LOCUS D (FD) and FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) (Anderson et al (2011) (supra); Amasino et al (2010) (supra); Michaels & Amasino (1999) (supra); Adrian et al (2009) Mol. Plant. 2, 628; Searle et al (2006) Genes. Dev. 20, 898). Vernalization alleviates this repression by negatively regulating FLC expression through epigenetic modifications of the chromatin structure at the FLC locus (Amasino et al (2010) (supra); Adrian et al (2009) (supra). FLC also transduces temperature signals during seed germination Chiang et al (2009) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106:11661). FLC has five closely related paralogs in the Arabidopsis thaliana genome, some of which also act as floral repressors (Ratcliffe et al (2001) Plant Physiol. 126, 122; Ratcliffe et al (2003) Plant Cell 15, 1159; Kim & Sung (2010) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 107, 17029). These paralogs arose in evolution through sequential tandem and genome duplications within the order Brassicales (Schranz et al (2002) Genetics, 162, 1457; Nah & Chen (2010) New Phytol. 186, 228). Tandem duplications of FLC-like genes appear not uncommon, as they have also been reported in other Arabidopsis species (Nah & Chen (2010) (supra). Outside of Brassicales FLC-like genes have been identified in more distantly related core eudicot species. For instance in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris), a crop with a strong vernalization requirement, FLC expression also responds to vernalization. This suggests that FLC's role in cold-induced flowering is conserved in core eudicots (Reeves et al (2007) Genetics 176, 295). FLC homologs, however, have not been identified outside the core eudicots and the phylogenetic position of this subfamily in the larger MADS-box gene phylogeny, and therefore its evolutionary origin, is uncertain. It has therefore been postulated that FLC genes do not exist in monocots and current models for the regulation of flowering time in cereals do not include FLC (Alexandre & Hennig (2008) J. Exp. Bot. 59, 1127; Colasanti & Coneva (2009) Plant Physiol. 149: 56-62, Jarillo & Pineiro (2011) Plant Sci. 181: 364-378; Yan et al (2003) PNAS 100:6263-6268; Yan et al (2004) Science 303:1640-1644; Yan et al (2006) PNAS 103:19581-19586; Cockram et al (2007) J Exp Bot 58:1231-1244). Historically, vernalization has been first described and extensively studied in temperate monocot crops, like winter varieties of wheat and barley (Chouard (1960) Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 11, 191). This illustrates the agronomic importance of this trait. To significantly accelerate flowering and subsequent seed set, winter cereals require a sufficiently long period of cold. In contrast to Arabidopsis, however, the currently known elements of their vernalization response only involve other members of the MADS-box gene family as well as other genes (Chouard (1960) (supra); Alexandre & Hennig (2008), supra; Kim et al (2009) Annu. Rev. Cell Dev. Biol. 25, 277). Therefore, it has previously been suggested that the vernalization response in temperate cereals and eudicots has evolved independently (Alexandre & Hennig (2008) (supra); Kim et al (2009) (supra); Hemming & Trevaskis (2011) Plant Sci. 180, 447; Ream et al. (2013) Cold Spring Harb. Symp. Quant. Biol. doi:10.1101/sqb.2013.77.014449) and, hence, do not commonly involve FLC.

FLC-like genes are not the only subfamily of MADS-box genes with an enigmatic origin. While members of the SQUAMOSA (SQUA) and SEPALLATA (SEP) subfamilies have been identified in all major flowering plant lineages, no gymnosperm representatives have so far been found despite the availability of extensive transcriptome data and targeted cloning efforts Rigault et al. (2011) Plant Physiol. 157:14-28; Melzer et al (2010) Semin. Cell De.v Biol. 21:118-128. In angiosperms, rounds of polyploidization (whole-genome duplications) probably generated many of the observed gene duplications in the SQUA and SEP subfamilies (Veron et al. (2007), Mol. Biol. Evol. 24:670-678; Shan et al (2009) Mol. Biol. Evol. 26:2229-2244; Jiao et al (2012) Genome Biol. 13:R3; Vekemans et al. (2012) Mol. Biol. Evol. doi: 10.1093/molbev/mss183). Members of the SQUA subfamily are generally positive regulators of the floral transition since they control the formation of inflorescence and floral meristems (Bowmanet al (1993) Development, 119(3):721-743). SEP genes act as key regulators of floral organ specification, and in a partially redundant manner with SQUA-like genes in floral meristem specification (Pelaz et al (2000) Nature 405:200-203; Kaufmann et al. (2009) PLoS Biol. 7, e1000090).

Greenup et al. ((2010) Plant Physiol. 153, 1062) describes the identification of a vernalization responsive barley MADS box floral repressor protein.

Winfield et al ((2009) BMC Plant Biol. 9, 55) describes cold- and light-induced changes in the transcriptome of wheat leading to phase transition from vegetative to reproductive growth.

WO2006/068432 discloses to flowering-time and/or stem elongation regulator isolated from rice, a DNA construct containing the regulator, a transgenic plant, a part thereof, and plant cell transformed with the DNA construct, and methods to control flowering-time and/or stem elongation using the regulator.

Clarifying the origin of the enigmatic FLC subfamily, but also that of SEP and SQUA can greatly contribute to our understanding of the evolution of flowering plants. Here, we combined genomic synteny-based approaches and phylogeny reconstruction to understand the evolutionary history of these MADS-box gene subfamilies. This allowed us to identify FLC orthologs in monocots. Similar to Arabidopsis FLC, the expression of these FLC-like genes is responsive to a prolonged cold period. The identified tandem arrangement of the FLC, SEP and SQUA subfamilies suggests an origin of these subfamilies by an ancient tandem duplication prior to the origin of extant flowering plants, followed by segmental duplications linked to rounds of polyploidization. Our results close an important gap in our understanding on the origin of developmental key regulatory genes in flowering plants.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for modulating flowering, seed development, and/or seed germination, such as temperature-dependent flowering, seed development and/or seed germination, in a monocot plant comprising the step of altering the expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein in said plant or plant part, plant organ or plant cell of said plant. In a further aspect of the invention, a method is provided for producing a monocot plant in which flowering time, seed development and/or seed germination, such as temperature-dependent flowering, seed development and/or seed germination, is modulated, said method comprising expressing in said plant a nucleic acid expression of which results in an altered expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein in said plant. In a further embodiment, modulating flowering time, seed development, seed maturation comprises accelerating flowering time, or modulating or seed germination comprises delaying seed germination.

In yet another aspect, methods according to the invention are provided wherein altering the expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein comprises decreasing the expression of and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein in said plant, plant part, plant organ or plant cell. In even a further embodiment, said decreasing the expression of and/or activity of a FLC gene and/or protein comprises expressing in said plant, plant part, plant organ or plant cell a chimeric gene comprising the following operably linked elements:

-   -   a. a plant-expressible promoter,     -   b. a nucleic acid which when transcribed results in a decreased         expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein,         preferably an endogenous FLC gene and/or protein in said monocot         plant, plant part, plant organ or plant cell, and, optionally     -   c. a 3′ end region involved in transcription termination and         polyadenylation functional in plants.

In again a further embodiment, said nucleic acid encodes an FLC silencing RNA comprising:

-   -   a. at least 19 out of 20 consecutive nucleotides of the         nucleotide sequence of an FLC gene present in said monocot         plant;     -   b. at least 19 out of 20 consecutive nucleotides of the         complement of the nucleotide sequence of an endogenous FLC gene         present in said monocot plant; or     -   c. a sense region comprising a nucleotide sequence of at least         19 out of 20 consecutive nucleotides of the nucleotide sequence         of an FLC gene present in said plant and an antisense region         comprising a nucleotide sequence of at least 19 out of 20         consecutive nucleotides of the complement of the nucleotide         sequence of said FLC gene present in said plant, wherein said         sense and antisense region are capable of forming a double         stranded RNA region comprising said at least 19 out of 20         consecutive nucleotides.

In again another embodiment, methods according the invention are provided comprising the step of introducing a mutant allele of an endogenous FLC gene not encoding a functional FLC protein into said plant.

In a further aspect of the invention, a method is provided for delaying (temperature-dependent) flowering, seed development and/or accelerating (temperature-dependent) seed germination in a monocot plant comprising the step of altering the expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein in said plant or plant part, plant organ or plant cell of said plant. In a further aspect of the invention, a method is provided for producing a monocot plant in which (temperature-dependent) flowering time or seed development is delayed, or seed germination in accelerated, said method comprising altering the expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein in said plant. In a further aspect of the invention, said altering the expression and/or activity of a FLC gene and/or protein comprises increasing the expression of and/or activity of a FLC gene and/or protein in said plant, plant part, plant organ or plant cell. In yet a further embodiment, said increasing the expression and/or activity of a FLC gene and/or protein comprises expressing in said plant, plant part, plant organ or plant cell a chimeric gene comprising the following operably linked elements:

-   -   a. a plant-expressible promoter,     -   b. a nucleic acid which when transcribed results in an increased         activity and/or expression of an FLC gene and/or protein in said         monocot plant, plant part, plant organ or plant cell, and     -   c. optionally, a 3′ end region functional in plants.

In again a further embodiment, said nucleic acid encodes an FLC protein.

A further embodiment provides methods according to the invention wherein said monocot plant is a cereal plant, such as a temperate cereal plant, such as a wheat plant.

In again a further embodiment, the coding region of said FLC gene comprises a nucleotide sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17 or said FLC protein comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 or 18.

Further provided is a chimeric gene as described in the methods of the invention, and a plant, plant part, plant organ, plant cell or seed comprising said chimeric gene.

The invention further provides a monocot plant, plant part, plant organ, plant cell or seed, obtainable according to the methods according to the invention, wherein the expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein has been altered as compared to a control plant. Also provided is a monocot plant comprising a mutant allele of an FLC gene, said mutant allele resulting in an alteration of the expression and/or activity of the FLC protein encoded by said gene compared to a plant not comprising said mutation in which, optionally, the (temperature-dependent) flowering time, seed development, seed maturation or seed germination has been modulated compared to said plant not comprising said mutation.

According to a further embodiment, the FLC protein of the plant according to the invention has at least 80% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18, or wherein said FLC protein is encoded by a nucleotide sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17. In an even further embodiment, the plant according to the invention is a cereal plant, such as a temperate cereal plant, such as a wheat plant.

Further provided is a method for identifying a monocot plant, such as a cereal plant, or a temperate cereal plant, or a wheat plant, with a modulated (temperature-dependent) flowering time comprising the step of

-   -   a. providing a population of monocot plants, for example a         population that has been subjected to mutagenesis,     -   b. identifying one or more plants with a mutant allele of an FLC         gene, such as an FLC gene having at least 80% sequence identity         to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17, or         an FLC gene encoding a protein having at least 80% sequence         identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 or         18, and     -   c. identifying within said plants with a mutant allele of an FLC         gene, such as an FLC gene having at least 80% sequence identity         to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17, or         an FLC gene encoding a protein having at least 80% sequence         identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16         and 18, one or more plants that have a modulated         (temperature-dependent) flowering time compared to a plant of         the same species not comprising said mutation.

In a further embodiment, an FLC protein or a functional fragment thereof is provided which is obtainable from a monocot plant, such as from a cereal plant, such as from a temperate cereal, such as from a wheat plant, such as an FLC protein which has an amino acid sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18.

In a further embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence encoding the FLC protein according to the invention is provided, such as a nucleic acid molecule having at least 80% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17.

A further aspect of the invention provides the use of the chimeric gene according to the invention, the protein according to the invention, or the nucleic acid sequence according to the invention to modulate (temperature-dependent) flowering time, seed development and/or seed germination in a monocot plant, such as a cereal plant, such as a temperate cereal plant, such as a wheat plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1: Conserved tandem arrangements of MADS-box genes in Amborella, Oryza, Brachypodium, Vitis, Populus and Solanum. Genes that exhibit conserved synteny throughout the angiosperms are represented by arrows with a specific symbol and are connected by vertical lines that are defined at the top of the figure. Loci in white without a symbol did not exhibit synteny. SBP-like genes belonging to different monophyletic groups are differentiated by a different symbol. On the left side of each genome fragment, position coordinates are shown.

FIG. 2: Maximum likelihood tree of FLC-like genes with SQUAMOSA-like as a root. The numbers next to each node indicate bootstrap support values of 100 non-parametric bootstraps. Phylogenetic analysis was performed with PhyML 3.0.

FIG. 3: Expression of Brachypodium distachyon FLC homologs, BdMADS37 (a), BdODDSOC1 (b) and (d) and BdODDSOC2 (c), in response to prolonged cold. Expression of FLC-like genes in Brachypodium were monitored using qRT-PCR in plants exposed to a 6 week period at 4° C. (vernalized) or 28° C. (control). Expression in vernalized samples is represented by diamonds, while the control samples are indicated by squares. (Abbr: Prevern: pre-vernalization, 2 w: two weeks, 4 w: four weeks, 6 w: six weeks). Error bars represent the standard errors of the mean of three biological replicates.

FIG. 4: Expression data and functional evidence of FLC-like genes summarized and plotted onto a simplified FLC phylogeny. Vernalization responsive genes are indicated by * next to the respective gene. (Phylogeny based on our maximum likelihood phylogeny of MIKCc-type MADS-box genes).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is based on the identification of FLC genes in monocot plant species and their expression regulation by low temperature. A novel approach was followed which, for the first time, allowed the identification of FLC genes in monocot plants, such as (temperate) cereals, previously thought to be non-existent, based on the presently observed conservation of tandem repeat arrangements in core eudicot genomes between SEP3-, SEP1-, SQUA- and FLC-like genes. Six FLC genes have been identified in Triticum aestivum (wheat), and three FLC genes have been identified in Brachypodium distachion. In Arabidopsis, FLC genes have been reported to act as repressors of flowering and of seed dormancy. The current invention therefore opens a novel and previously unrecognized route for modulating flowering time, seed development, seed maturation and seed germination in monocot plants by altering the expression of FLC.

In one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for modulating flowering time, seed development, and/or seed germination, in a monocot plant comprising the step of altering the expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein in said plant or plant part, plant organ or plant cell of said plant. In a further aspect of the invention, a method is provided for producing a monocot plant in which flowering time, seed development and/or seed germination is modulated, said method comprising expressing in said plant a nucleic acid the expression of which results in an altered expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein in said plant. Said flowering time, seed development, and/or seed germination may be temperature-dependent. In a further embodiment, modulating flowering time comprises accelerating flowering time, seed development or seed maturation, or modulating seed germination comprises delaying seed germination.

As used herein, “flowering”, interchangeably used with “flowering time”, relates to the time period from germination to the appearance of the inflorescence or to anthesis. Modulating flowering or flowering time in this respect thus relates to the modulation (increase or decrease) of the time period from germination to the appearance of the inflorescence or to anthesis. In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to modulation (increase or decrease) of temperature dependent flowering or flowering time.

As used herein, “seed development”, relates to the development from fertilization to mature seed, including embryo development and seed maturation. Seed development as used herein includes in particular also seed maturation, i.e. the accumulation of storage tissue in the seed. Modulating seed development accordingly involves modulating the time from fertilization to mature seed. In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to modulation (increase or decrease) of temperature-dependent seed development.

As used herein, “seed germination”, relates to the emergence of a (viable) seedling from a seed. Modulating seed germination in this respect thus relates to modulating (increasing or decreasing) the time period from imbibition (the exposure to moist conditions, e.g. by contacting with a growth medium, such as planting in the soil) to the emergence of the seedling. In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to modulation (increase or decrease) of temperature-dependent seed germination.

It is to be understood that the term “an FLC gene and/or protein” may be exactly one such gene or protein but also includes embodiments where at least one such FLC gene and/or protein are concerned. Six FLC genes have been found in Triticum aestivum, accordingly, for T. aestivum as well as other monocot plants comprising more than one FLC gene, the present invention in several embodiments contemplates reference to at least one FLC gene and/or protein, but also at least two, at least three, at least four, at least five FLC or at least six genes and/or proteins. If comparative reference is made from a mutant FLC gene/allele to a naturally occurring FLC gene and/or protein, it is understood that in case more than one FLC gene and/or protein exists, reference is made to the one with the highest sequence identity to the mutant FLC gene/allele concerned.

The term “temperature-dependent” interchangeably used with the term “cold-induced”, as used herein, refer to the requirement for certain plant species of a period of low temperature (cold) for certain processes such as flowering or seed germination to be activated. This is necessary for in particular temperate plant species to be able to sense the passing of winter into optimal reproductive environmental conditions (Amasino et al (2010), supra). For example, winter wheat requires a cold period of about 8 weeks before induction of flowering, while this is about 3-8 weeks for Brachypodium (Schwartz et al. (2010) Bioenergy Research 3: 38-46). The required temperature for such a cold period is generally about about 4° C.

In relation to temperature dependency, the term “vernalization”, as used herein refers to exposure of a plant or seed to low temperature for a genetically determined length of time in order to trigger flowering, seed development or seed germination. Vernalization thus is for example the acquisition of a plant's ability to flower in the spring by exposure to the prolonged cold of winter. After vernalization, plants have acquired the ability to flower, but they may require additional seasonal cues or weeks of growth before they will actually flower. Many plants that grow in temperate climates require vernalization and must experience a period of low winter temperature to initiate or accelerate the flowering process. This ensures that reproductive development and seed production occurs in spring and summer, rather than in autumn. The needed cold is often expressed in chill hours. Typical vernalization temperatures are between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius, but under experimental conditions 4 degrees Celcius is often used.

Temperature-dependent germination relates to the percentage of seeds germination following a exposure at a particular temperature, as e.g. described in Chiang et al. 2009, supra).

FLC genes, also “Flowering Locus C genes” are genes encoding FLC proteins or “Flowering Locus C proteins”. FLC genes are MADS-box genes. In Arabidopsis thaliana, FLC is a central repressor of floral transition, where it inhibits flowering by directly repressing the activity of central flowering promoters, namely SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS (SOC1), FLOWERING LOCUS D (FD) and FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT). Also in Arabidopsis, FLC controls temperature-dependent seed germination and natural variation at the FLC locus and in FLC expression is associated with natural variation in temperature dependent germination (Chiang et al. 2009, supra) The term “functional FLC protein” relates to the activity of an FLC protein which includes at least one and preferably more than one or even all of its biological functions, including activation or repression of expression of downstream targets of FLC mentioned in e.g. Deng et al., 2001 PNAS 108:6680-6685), or by evaluating the binding to interaction partners such as SVP (Lee et al., 2007, Genes Dev 21:397-402).

FLC genes present in monocots can be any of the monocot FLC genes as described herein. For example, the FLC genes can be the FLC genes as described in Table 1 below. Monocot FLC genes can also be genes with a coding sequence having at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, 98%, 99% or 100% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 1, or with SEQ ID NO: 3, or with SEQ ID NO: 5, or with SEQ ID NO: 7, or with SEQ ID NO: 9, or with SEQ ID NO: 11, or with SEQ ID NO: 13, or with SEQ ID NO: 15; or with SEQ ID NO: 17. In addition to the degree of sequence identity as described above, such FLC genes may also have the same functionality as the ones of any one of SEQ ID NO: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17.

FLC proteins can be proteins encoded by the monocot FLC genes as described herein. For example, the FLC proteins can be the FLC proteins encoded by the FLC genes in Table 1 as described herein. Monocot FLC proteins can also be proteins with an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, 98%, 99% or 100% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 2, or with SEQ ID NO: 4, or with SEQ ID NO: 6, or with SEQ ID NO: 8, or with SEQ ID NO: 10, or with SEQ ID NO: 12, or with SEQ ID NO: 14, or with SEQ ID NO: 16, or with SEQ ID NO: 18.

FLC genes from other monocot species can be identified using the methods as described in Example 2. Once FLC genes in a certain monocot species have been identified, orthologous FLC genes in related monocot species or in other cultivars or varieties can be identified using methods well known in the art, e.g., alignments, either manually or by using computer programs such as BLAST (Altschul et al. (1990), Journal of Molecular Biology, 215, 403-410), which stands for Basic Local Alignment Search Tool or ClustalW (Thompson et al. (1994), Nucleic Acid Res., 22, 4673-4680) or any other suitable program which is suitable to generate sequence alignments.

FLC genes in related monocot species or in other cultivars or varieties can also be identified using hybridization with a probe having the nucleotide sequence of an FLC gene or part thereof. Stringent hybridization conditions, such as those described below, can be used to identify nucleotide sequences, which are substantially identical to a given nucleotide sequence. For example, FLC genes from other monocot species than the specific sequences disclosed herein are said to be substantially identical or essentially similar if they can be detected by hybridization under stringent, preferably highly stringent conditions. Stringent conditions are sequence dependent and will be different in different circumstances. Generally, stringent conditions are selected to be about 5° C. lower than the thermal melting point (Tm) for the specific sequences at a defined ionic strength and pH. The Tm is the temperature (under defined ionic strength and pH) at which 50% of the target sequence hybridizes to a perfectly matched probe. Typically stringent conditions will be chosen in which the salt concentration is about 0.02 molar at pH 7 and the temperature is at least 60° C. Lowering the salt concentration and/or increasing the temperature increases stringency. Stringent conditions for RNA-DNA hybridizations (Northern blots using a probe of e.g. 100 nt) are for example those which include at least one wash in 0.2×SSC at 63° C. for 20 min, or equivalent conditions.

“High stringency conditions” can be provided, for example, by hybridization at 65° C. in an aqueous solution containing 6×SSC (20×SSC contains 3.0 M NaCl, 0.3 M Na-citrate, pH 7.0), 5×Denhardt's (100×Denhardt's contains 2% Ficoll, 2% Polyvinyl pyrollidone, 2% Bovine Serum Albumin), 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), and 20 μg/ml denaturated carrier DNA (single-stranded fish sperm DNA, with an average length of 120-3000 nucleotides) as non-specific competitor. Following hybridization, high stringency washing may be done in several steps, with a final wash (about 30 min) at the hybridization temperature in 0.2-0.1×SSC, 0.1% SDS.

“Moderate stringency conditions” refers to conditions equivalent to hybridization in the above described solution but at about 60-62° C. Moderate stringency washing may be done at the hybridization temperature in 1×SSC, 0.1% SDS.

“Low stringency” refers to conditions equivalent to hybridization in the above described solution at about 50-52° C. Low stringency washing may be done at the hybridization temperature in 2×SSC, 0.1% SDS. See also Sambrook et al. (1989) and Sambrook and Russell (2001).

Monocot plants, also known as monocotyledons or monocotelydon plants, are well known in the art and are plants which have one cotyledon in their seeds. Monocot plants comprise Oryza sp. (including rice), Zea sp. (including maize), Saccharum sp. (including sugarcane), Triticum sp. (including wheat), Hordeum, Secale, Avena, Lolium, Festuca Brachypodium distachion, Musa sp. (including banana).

Accelerating (temperature-dependent) flowering or seed development (wherein seed development as used herein includes in particular seed maturation) can be accelerating any of the two by a significant time, such as by between 1 and 60 days, depending on the accession, as compared to flowering time, seed development (including seed maturation) of a plant with wild-type FLC expression and activity, such as an acceleration of about 1 to 60 days, about 10 to 50 days, about 1 to 20 days, about 20 to 40 days, about 40 to 60 days, e.g. an acceleration of about 5 days, about 10 days, about 20 days, about 30 days, about 40 days, about 50 days or about 60 days. Delaying seed germination can be delaying seed germination by about up to 4 weeks as compared to germination of a plant with wild-type FLC expression and activity, such as delay of about 1 to 4 weeks, about 1 to 2 weeks, about 2 and 3 weeks, about 2 to 4 weeks, e.g. a delay of about 1 week, about 2 weeks, about 3 weeks or about 4 weeks. Delaying seed germination can also be preventing seed germination altogether, i.e the seeds do not germinate. Plants with wild-type FLC expression and activity are plants having expression and/or activity of at least one FLC gene as it most commonly occurs in nature. Said plants do not comprise heterologous DNA to increase or reduce FLC expression and/or activity, and said plants do not comprise knock-out FLC alleles.

Accelerating temperature-dependent flowering in this respect also relates to reducing the length of the cold period required for the induction of flowering. The length of the cold period required for the induction of flowering can be reduced by up to 8 weeks, depending on the accession, as compared to the length of the cold period required for the induction of flowering of a plant with wild-type FLC expression and activity, such as a reduction in the length of the cold period between 1 and 8 weeks, between 1 and 4 weeks, between 4 and 8 weeks, between 2 and 6 weeks, between 3 and 5 weeks, e.g. a reduction by about 1 week, by about 2 weeks, by about 3 weeks, by about 4 weeks, by about 5 weeks or by about 6 weeks, by about 7 weeks, or by about 8 weeks. Reducing the length of the cold period required for the induction of flowering in this respect can also mean completely eliminating the requirement for a cold period before flowering. Plants with wild-type FLC expression and activity are plants having expression and/or activity of at least one FLC gene as it most commonly occurs in nature. Said plants do not comprise heterologous DNA to increase or reduce FLC expression and/or activity, and said plants do not comprise knock-out FLC alleles.

Accelerating temperature dependent flowering in this respect also relates to increasing the lowest temperature of the cold period required for the induction of flowering. The lowest temperature of the cold period required for the induction of flowering can, depending on the accession, be increased up to 10° C., such as an increase between 1 and 10° C., between 5 and 10° C., between 1 and 5° C., between 3 and 8° C., between 4 and 6° C., e.g. an increase of about 2° C., about 4° C., about 5° C., about 6° C. about 8° C., or about 10° C., as compared to lowest temperature required for induction of flowering of a plant with wild-type FLC expression and activity. Increasing the lowest temperature of the cold period required for the induction of flowering in this respect can also mean completely eliminating the requirement for a cold period before flowering. Plants with wild-type FLC expression and activity are plants having expression and/or activity of at least one FLC gene as it most commonly occurs in nature. Said plants do not comprise heterologous DNA to increase or reduce FLC expression and/or activity, and said plants do not comprise knock-out FLC alleles.

The terms “expressing in said plant” as well as “expressing in a plant, plant part, plant organ or plant cell” as used throughout the present application relate to the occurrence of an expression product of a nucleic acid resulting from transcription of said nucleic acid. In connection with some embodiments of the methods according to the invention, the term may additionally include introducing a chimeric gene comprising the nucleic acid to be expressed in the plant.

In yet another aspect, methods according to the invention are provided wherein altering the expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein comprises decreasing the expression of and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein in said plant, plant part, plant organ or plant cell. In even a further embodiment, said decreasing the expression of and/or activity of a FLC gene and/or protein comprises expressing in said plant, plant part, plant organ or plant cell a chimeric gene comprising the following operably linked elements:

-   -   a. a plant-expressible promoter,     -   b. a nucleic acid which when transcribed yields an RNA molecule         that results in a decreased expression and/or activity of an         endogenous FLC gene and/or protein, i.e. an FLC gene naturally         present (i.e. endogenous) in said monocot plant, plant part,         plant organ or plant cell, and, optionally     -   c. a 3′ end region involved in transcription termination and         polyadenylation functional in plants.

A chimeric gene is an artificial gene constructed by operably linking fragments of unrelated genes or other nucleic acid sequences. In other words “chimeric gene” denotes a gene which is not normally found in a plant species or refers to any gene in which the promoter or one or more other regulatory regions of the gene are not associated in nature with a part or all of the transcribed nucleic acid, i.e. are heterologous with respect to the transcribed nucleic acid. The term “heterologous” refers to the relationship between two or more nucleic acid or protein sequences that are derived from different sources. For example, a promoter is heterologous with respect to an operably linked nucleic acid sequence, such as a coding sequence, if such a combination is not normally found in nature. In addition, a particular sequence may be “heterologous” with respect to a cell or organism into which it is inserted (i.e. does not naturally occur in that particular cell or organism). For example, the chimeric gene disclosed herein is a heterologous nucleic acid.

The chimeric gene may also comprise a transcription termination or polyadenylation sequence functional in a plant cell, particularly a monocot, more preferably a cereal or wheat plant cell. As a transcription termination or polyadenylation sequence, use may be made of any corresponding sequence of bacterial origin, such as for example the nos terminator of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, of viral origin, such as for example the CaMV 35S terminator, or of plant origin, such as for example a histone terminator as described in published Patent Application EP 0 633 317 A1.

An RNA molecule that results in a decreased expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein can be an RNA encoding a protein which inhibits expression and/or activity of said FLC protein. Further, said RNA molecule that results in a decreased expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein can also be an RNA molecule which inhibits expression of a gene which is an activator of expression and/or activity of said FLC protein. For example FRIGIDA in Arabidopsis promotes FLC and FCA in Arabidopsis and other members of the autonomous pathway act to reduce FLC levels in Arabidopsis (Michaels and Amasino 2001, Science 290: 344-347). Said RNA molecule that inhibits the expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein may also be an RNA molecule that directly inhibits expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein, such as an RNA which mediates silencing of said FLC gene.

Decreasing the expression and/or activity of the FLC gene and/or protein can be decreasing the amount of functional FLC protein produced. Said decrease can be a decrease with at least 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95% or 100% (i.e. no functional FLC protein is produced by the cell) as compared to the amount of functional FLC protein produced by a cell with wild type FLC expression levels and activity. Said decrease in expression and/or activity can be a constitutive decrease in the amount of functional FLC protein produced. Said decrease can also be a temporal/inducible decrease in the amount of functional FLC protein produced. The amount of functional FLC protein (FLC activity) as well as the fact whether an FLC protein is function can e.g. be determined by evaluating the expression/activation of downstream targets of FLC any of the targets mentioned in e.g. Deng et al., 2001 PNAS 108:6680-6685), or by evaluating the binding of FLC to interaction partners such as SVP (Lee et al., 2007, Genes Dev 21:397-402).

The expression and/or activity of the FLC gene and/or protein can conveniently be reduced or eliminated by transcriptional or post-transcriptional silencing of the expression of endogenous FLC genes. To this end and within the chimeric gene described above, a silencing RNA molecule is introduced in the plant cells targeting the endogenous FLC encoding genes. As used herein, “silencing RNA” or “silencing RNA molecule” refers to any RNA molecule, which upon introduction into a plant cell, reduces the expression of a target gene. Such silencing RNA may e.g. be so-called “antisense RNA”, whereby the RNA molecule comprises a sequence of at least 20 consecutive nucleotides having 95% sequence identity to the complement of the sequence of the target nucleic acid, preferably the coding sequence of the target gene. However, antisense RNA may also be directed to regulatory sequences of target genes, including the promoter sequences and transcription termination and polyadenylation signals. Silencing RNA further includes so-called “sense RNA” whereby the RNA molecule comprises a sequence of at least 20 consecutive nucleotides having 95% sequence identity to the sequence of the target nucleic acid. Other silencing RNA may be “unpolyadenylated RNA” comprising at least 20 consecutive nucleotides having 95% sequence identity to the complement of the sequence of the target nucleic acid, such as described in WO01/12824 or U.S. Pat. No. 6,423,885 (both documents herein incorporated by reference). Yet another type of silencing RNA is an RNA molecule as described in WO03/076619 (herein incorporated by reference) comprising at least 20 consecutive nucleotides having at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97% at least 98%, at least 99% or 100% sequence identity to the sequence of the target nucleic acid or the complement thereof, and further comprising a largely-double stranded region as described in WO03/076619 (including largely double stranded regions comprising a nuclear localization signal from a viroid of the Potato spindle tuber viroid-type or comprising CUG trinucleotide repeats). Silencing RNA may also be double stranded RNA comprising a sense and antisense strand as herein defined, wherein the sense and antisense strand are capable of base-pairing with each other to form a double stranded RNA region (preferably the said at least 20 consecutive nucleotides of the sense and antisense RNA are complementary to each other). The sense and antisense region may also be present within one RNA molecule such that a hairpin RNA (hpRNA) can be formed when the sense and antisense region form a double stranded RNA region. hpRNA is well-known within the art (see e.g WO99/53050, herein incorporated by reference). The hpRNA may be classified as long hpRNA, having long, sense and antisense regions which can be largely complementary, but need not be entirely complementary (typically larger than about 200 bp, ranging between 200-1000 bp). hpRNA can also be rather small ranging in size from about 30 to about 42 bp, but not much longer than 94 bp (see WO04/073390, herein incorporated by reference). An ihpRNA is an intron-containing hairpin RNA, which has the same general structure as an hpRNA, but the RNA molecule additionally comprises an intron in the loop of the hairpin that is capable of being spliced in the cell in which the ihpRNA is expressed. The use of an intron minimizes the size of the loop in the hairpin RNA molecule following splicing, and this increases the efficiency of interference. See, for example, Smith et al (2000) Nature 407:319-320. In fact, Smith et al, show 100% suppression of endogenous gene expression using ihpRNA-mediated interference. In some embodiments, the intron is the ADH1 intron 1. Methods for using ihpRNA interference to inhibit the expression of endogenous plant genes are described, for example, in Smith et al, (2000) Nature 407:319-320; Waterhouse and Helliwell, (2003) Nat. Rev. Genet. 4:29-38; Helliwell and Waterhouse, (2003) Methods 30:289-295 and US2003180945, each of which is herein incorporated by reference. A transient assay for the efficiency of hpRNA constructs to silence gene expression in vivo has been described by Panstruga, et al. (2003). The chimeric gene for hpRNA interference may also be designed such that the sense sequence and the antisense sequence do not correspond to an endogenous RNA. In this embodiment, the sense and antisense sequence flank a loop sequence that comprises a nucleotide sequence corresponding to all or part of the endogenous messenger RNA of the target gene present in the plant. Thus, it is the loop region that determines the specificity of the RNA interference. See, for example, WO0200904 herein incorporated by reference.

Silencing RNA may also be artificial micro-RNA molecules as described e.g. in WO2005/052170, WO2005/047505 or US 2005/0144667, or ta-siRNAs as described in WO2006/074400 (all documents incorporated herein by reference).

Within the chimeric genes of the invention, als amplicon chimeric genes can be used. Amplicon chimeric genes according to the invention comprise a plant virus-derived sequence that contains all or part of the target gene but generally not all of the genes of the native virus. The viral sequences present in the transcription product of the chimeric gene allow the transcription product to direct its own replication. The transcripts produced by the amplicon may be either sense or antisense relative to the target sequence. Methods of using amplicons to inhibit the expression of endogenous plant genes are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,635,805, which is herein incorporated by reference.

In some embodiments, the nucleic acid expressed by the chimeric gene of the invention is catalytic RNA or has ribozyme activity specific for the target sequence. Thus, the polynucleotide causes the degradation of the endogenous messenger RNA transcribed from the target gene/sequence, resulting in reduced expression of the protein present in the plant. This method is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,071, herein incorporated by reference.

In one embodiment, the nucleic acid expressed by the chimeric gene of the invention encodes a zinc finger protein that binds to the gene encoding said protein, resulting in reduced expression of the target gene. In particular embodiments, the zinc finger protein binds to a regulatory region of said gene. In other embodiments, the zinc finger protein binds to a messenger RNA encoding said protein, thereby preventing its translation. Methods of selecting sites for targeting by zinc finger proteins have been described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,242, and methods for using zinc finger proteins to inhibit the expression of genes in plants are described, for example, in US2003/0037355, each of which is herein incorporated by reference.

In another embodiment, the nucleic acid expressed by the chimeric gene of the invention encodes a TALE protein that binds to a gene encoding a protein having the activity of an FLC protein present in the plant, resulting in reduced expression of the gene. In particular embodiments, the TALE protein binds to a regulatory region of said gene. In other embodiments, the TALE protein binds to a messenger RNA encoding said protein and prevents its translation. Methods of selecting sites for targeting by TALE proteins have been described in e.g. Moscou M J, Bogdanove A J (2009) (A simple cipher governs DNA recognition by TAL effectors. Science 326:1501) and Morbitzer R, Romer P, Boch J, Lahaye T (2010) (Regulation of selected genome loci using de novo-engineered transcription activator-like effector (TALE)-type transcription factors. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107:21617-21622).

In some embodiments, to reduce or decrease the expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein, a polypeptide or nucleic acid encoding an RNA molecule which is translated into a polypeptide can be introduced into a plant within the chimeric gene according to the invention, wherein the polypeptide is capable of reducing the expression and/or activity of said FLC protein directly, i.e. the chimeric gene encodes an inhibitory protein or polypeptides.

In one embodiment, such an FLC inhibitory protein or polypeptide can be an antibody (including a nanobody etc) that binds to the FLC protein present in the plant and reduces the activity thereof. In another embodiment, the binding of the antibody results in increased turnover of the antibody complex by cellular quality control mechanisms. The expression of antibodies in plant cells and the inhibition of molecular pathways by expression and binding of antibodies to proteins in plant cells are well known in the art. See, for example, Conrad and Sonnewald, (2003) Nature Biotech. 21:35-36, incorporated herein by reference.

In another embodiment, such inhibitory protein or polypeptide may also be a dominant negative FLC protein or protein fragment.

In an alternative embodiment, decreasing the functional amount of an FLC protein can be achieved by contacting the plant or plant cell with molecules interfering with the function of the FLC protein present in the plant, e.g. by triggering aggregation of the target protein (interferor peptides) as e.g. described in WO2007/071789 and WO2008/148751.

In an even further embodiment, decreasing the expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein can be achieved by contacting the plant or plant cell can with so-called alphabodies specific for the FLC protein present in the plant, i.e. non-natural proteinaceous molecules that can antagonize protein function, as e.g. described in WO2009/030780, WO2010/066740 and WO2012/092970.

In alternative embodiments, decreasing the expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein can be achieved by inhibition of the expression said FLC protein present in the plant. Inhibition of the expression of said FLC gene and/or protein can be induced at the desired moment using a spray (systemic application) with inhibitory nucleic acids, such as RNA or DNA molecules that function in RNA-mediated gene silencing (similar to the above described molecules), as e.g. described in WO2011/112570 (incorporated herein by reference).

Thus, in a further embodiment, the chimeric gene encodes an RNA molecule comprising:

-   -   a. at least 19 out of 20 consecutive nucleotides of the         nucleotide sequence of an FLC gene present in said monocot         plant;     -   b. at least 19 out of 20 consecutive nucleotides of the         complement of the nucleotide sequence of an FLC gene present in         said monocot plant; or     -   c. a sense region comprising a nucleotide sequence of at least         19 out of 20 consecutive nucleotides of the nucleotide sequence         of an FLC gene present in said plant and an antisense region         comprising a nucleotide sequence of at least 19 out of 20         consecutive nucleotides of the complement of the nucleotide         sequence of said FLC gene present in said plant, wherein said         sense and antisense region are capable of forming a double         stranded RNA region comprising said at least 19 out of 20         consecutive nucleotides.         Thus, the RNA molecule may comprise at least 19 out of 20         consecutive nucleotides of (the complement of) a nucleotide         sequence having at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 98%, 99% or 100%         sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11,         13, 15 and 17, or the RNA molecule may comprise at least 19 out         of 20 consecutive nucleotides of (the complement of) a nucleic         acid encoding a protein having at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 98%,         99% or 100% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 4, 6,         8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18.

In again another embodiment, methods according the invention are provided comprising the step of introducing a knock-out allele of an endogenous FLC gene.

A “knock-out allele of an endogenous FLC gene” or a “knock-out FLC allele” as used herein is an FLC allele which encodes a non-functional FLC protein (i.e. a protein having no FLC activity) or results in a significantly reduced amount of FLC protein (by for example a mutation in a regularory region such as the promoter), or which encodes an FLC protein with significantly reduced activity. Said “knock-out FLC allele” can be a mutant FLC allele, which may encode no FLC protein, or which may encode a non-functional FLC protein. The allele may also be referred to as an inactivated allele.

Said “significantly reduced amount of FLC protein” can be a reduction in the amount (or levels) of FLC protein produced by the cell comprising a knock-out FLC allele by at least 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95% or 100% (i.e. no FLC protein is produced by the allele) as compared to the amount of the FLC protein produced by the wild-type FLC allele. FLC amounts or levels, e.g the amount of a transcript (e.g. an mRNA) or a protein can be measured according to various methods known in the art such as (quantitative) RT-PCR, northern blotting, microarray analysis, western blotting, ELISA and the like.

A “significantly reduced activity” can be a reduction in the activity of FLC protein produced by the cell comprising a knock-out FLC allele by at least 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95% or 100% (i.e. no FLC activity) as compared to the FLC activity of the wild type FLC allele. Assays for FLC activity are described elsewhere in this application.

A “wild-type FLC allele” as used herein refers to a typical form of an allele as it most commonly occurs in nature, such as the FLC alleles as described in this application, e.g. SEQ ID NOs 1-18 or the ones provided in table 1.

Basically, any mutation in the wild type FLC nucleic acid sequences which results in an FLC protein comprising at least one amino acid insertion, deletion and/or substitution relative to the wild type FLC protein can lead to significantly reduced or no biological activity. It is, however, understood that certain mutations in the FLC protein are more likely to result in a complete abolishment of the biological activity of the FLC protein, such as mutations whereby significant portions of the functional domains, such as the MADS domain are lacking. The MADS-domain is responsible for DNA binding through homo- or heterodimerization and its absence would thus impair the downstream regulatory function of the FLC transcription factor.

A “mutant FLC gene” or a “mutant FLC allele” refers to FLC genes or alleles comprising one or more mutations, such as a “missense mutation”, a “nonsense mutation” or “STOP codon mutation” (including a mutation resulting in no functional FLC protein (“knock-out allele of an FLC gene”), an “insertion mutation”, a “deletion mutation” or a “frameshift mutation” (the latter two including one or more mutations resulting in a “knock-out allele of an FLC gene”) with respect to a wild-type FLC gene or allele, such as such as the FLC genes and alleles as described in this application, e.g. as represented by SEQ ID NOs 1-18 or the ones provided in table 1.

A nonsense mutation in an FLC allele, as used herein, is a mutation in an FLC allele whereby one or more translation stop codons are introduced into the coding DNA and the corresponding mRNA sequence of the corresponding wild type FLC allele. Translation stop codons are TGA (UGA in the mRNA), TAA (UAA) and TAG (UAG). Thus, any mutation (deletion, insertion or substitution) that leads to the generation of an in-frame stop codon in the coding sequence will result in termination of translation and truncation of the amino acid chain. Thus, a full knockout mutant FLC allele may comprise a nonsense mutation wherein an in-frame stop codon is introduced in the FLC codon sequence by a single nucleotide substitution, such as the mutation of CAG to TAG, TGG to TAG, TGG to TGA, or CAA to TAA. Alternatively, a full knockout mutant FLC allele may comprise a nonsense mutation wherein an in-frame stop codon is introduced in the FLC codon sequence by double nucleotide substitutions, such as the mutation of CAG to TAA, TGG to TAA, or CGG to TAG or TGA. A full knockout mutant FLC allele may further comprise a nonsense mutation wherein an in-frame stop codon is introduced in the FLC codon sequence by triple nucleotide substitutions, such as the mutation of CGG to TAA. The truncated protein lacks the amino acids encoded by the coding DNA downstream of the mutation (i.e. the C-terminal part of the FLC protein) and maintains the amino acids encoded by the coding DNA upstream of the mutation (i.e. the N-terminal part of the FLC protein).

A missense mutation in an FLC allele, as used herein, is any mutation (deletion, insertion or substitution) in an FLC allele whereby one or more codons are changed in the coding DNA and the corresponding mRNA sequence of the corresponding wild type FLC allele, resulting in the substitution of one or more amino acids in the wild type FLC protein for one or more other amino acids in the mutant FLC protein.

A frameshift mutation in an FLC allele, as used herein, is a mutation (deletion, insertion, duplication of one or more nucleotides, and the like) in an FLC allele that results in the nucleic acid sequence being translated in a different frame downstream of the mutation.

An “insertion mutation” is present if one or more codons have been added in the coding sequence of the nucleic acid resulting in the presence of one or more amino acids in the translated protein, whereas a “deletion mutation” is present if one or more codons have been deleted in the coding sequence of the nucleic acid resulting in the deletion of one or more amino acids in the translated protein.

Said mutant allele can be introduced into said plant e.g. through mutagenesis. “Mutagenesis”, as used herein, refers to the process in which plant cells are subjected to a technique which induces mutations in the DNA of the cells, such as contact with a mutagenic agent, such as a chemical substance (such as ethylmethylsulfonate (EMS), ethylnitrosourea (ENU), etc.) or ionizing radiation (neutrons (such as in fast neutron mutagenesis, etc.), alpha rays, gamma rays (such as that supplied by a Cobalt 60 source), X-rays, UV-radiation, etc.), T-DNA insertion mutagenesis (Azpiroz-Leehan et al. (1997) Trends Genet 13:152-156), transposon mutagenesis (McKenzie et al. (2002) Theor Appl Genet 105:23-33), or tissue culture mutagenesis (induction of somaclonal variations), or a combination of two or more of these. Thus, the desired mutagenesis of one or more FLC genes or alleles may be accomplished by one of the above methods. While mutations created by irradiation are often large deletions or other gross lesions such as translocations or complex rearrangements, mutations created by chemical mutagens are often more discrete lesions such as point mutations. For example, EMS alkylates guanine bases, which results in base mispairing: an alkylated guanine will pair with a thymine base, resulting primarily in G/C to A/T transitions. Following mutagenesis, plants are regenerated from the treated cells using known techniques. For instance, the resulting seeds may be planted in accordance with conventional growing procedures and following pollination seed is formed on the plants. Additional seed that is formed as a result of such pollination in the present or a subsequent generation may be harvested and screened for the presence of mutant FLC alleles. Several techniques are known to screen for specific mutant alleles, e.g., Deleteagene™ (Delete-a-gene; Li et al., 2001, Plant J 27: 235-242) uses polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays to screen for deletion mutants generated by fast neutron mutagenesis, TILLING (targeted induced local lesions in genomes; McCallum et al., 2000, Nat Biotechnol 18:455-457) identifies EMS-induced point mutations, etc. Additional techniques to screen for the presence of specific mutant DA1 alleles are described in the Examples below.

Said mutant allele can also be introduced via gene targeting techniques. The term “gene targeting” refers herein to directed gene modification that uses mechanisms such as homologous recombination, mismatch repair or site-directed mutagenesis. The method can be used to replace, insert and delete endogenous sequences or sequences previously introduced in plant cells. Methods for gene targeting can be found in, for example, WO 2006/105946 or WO2009/002150.

Said mutant allele can also be introduced through introgression of a mutant allele into said plant.

In a further aspect of the invention, a method is provided for delaying (temperature-dependent) flowering time and/or seed development and/or accelerating seed germination, in a monocot plant comprising the step of altering the expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein in said plant or plant part, plant organ or plant cell of said plant. In a further aspect of the invention, a method is provided for producing a monocot plant in which flowering time or seed development is delayed, and/or seed germination in accelerated, said method comprising altering the expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein in said plant. In a further aspect of the invention, said altering the expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein comprises increasing the expression of and/or activity of a FLC gene and/or protein in said plant, plant part, plant organ or plant cell. In yet a further embodiment, said increasing the expression of and/or activity of a FLC gene and/or protein comprises expressing in said plant, plant part, plant organ or plant cell a chimeric gene comprising the following operably linked elements:

-   -   a. a plant-expressible promoter,     -   b. a nucleic acid which when transcribed results in an increased         activity and/or expression of an FLC gene and/or protein in said         monocot plant, plant part, plant organ or plant cell, and     -   c. optionally, a 3′ end region functional in plants.

Delaying (temperature-dependent) flowering time or seed development (including seed maturation) can be any of the three with up to 20 days as compared to flowering time of a plant with wild-type FLC expression and activity, such as a delay of about 1 to 60 days, about 10 to 50 days about 1 to 20 days, about 20-40 days, about 40-60 days, e.g. a delay of about 5 days, about 10 days, about 20 days, about 30 days, about 40 days, about 50 days or about 60 days. Accelerating seed germination can be accelerating seed germination by about up to 4 weeks as compared to germination of a plant with wild-type FLC expression and activity, such an acceleration of about 1 to 4 weeks, about 2 to 3 weeks, about 1 to 2 weeks, about 3 to 4 weeks, e.g. a an acceleration of about 1 week, or about 2 weeks, about 3 weeks or about 4 weeks. Plants with wild-type FLC expression and activity are plants having expression and/or activity of at least one FLC gene as it most commonly occurs in nature. Said plants do not comprise heterologous DNA to increase or reduce FLC expression and/or activity, and said plants do not comprise knock-out FLC alleles.

Delaying temperature-dependent flowering time in this respect also relates to increasing the length of the cold period required for the induction of flowering. The length of the cold period required for the induction of flowering can be increased up to about 8 weeks as compared to germination of a plant with wild-type FLC expression and activity, such as a delay of about 1 to 8 weeks, about 1 to 4 weeks, about 4 to 8 weeks, about 2 to 6 weeks, about 3 to 4 weeks, e.g. a delay of about 1 week, about 2 weeks, about 3 weeks, about, 4 weeks, about 5 weeks about 6 weeks, about 7 weeks, or about 8 weeks. Delaying flowering time in this respect also relates to decreasing the lowest temperature of the cold period required for the induction of flowering. The lowest temperature of the cold period required for the induction of flowering can be decreased up to 10° C. as compared to germination of a plant with wild-type FLC expression and activity, such as a a decrease of about 1-10° C., about 1-5° C., about, 5-10° C., about 2 to 8° C., about 4 to 6° C., such as a decrease by about 2° C., about 4° C., about 5° C., about 6° C., about 8° C. or about 10° C. Plants with wild-type FLC expression and activity are plants having expression and/or activity of at least one FLC gene as it most commonly occurs in nature. Said plants do not comprise heterologous DNA to increase or reduce FLC expression and/or activity, and said plants do not comprise knock-out FLC alleles.

Increasing the expression and/or activity of the FLC protein can be increasing the amount of (functional) FLC protein produced or increasing the expression and/or activity of FLC. Said increase in the amount of (functional) FLC protein produced can be an increase of at least 2-fold, 4-fold, 10-fold, 25-fold, 50-fold, 75-fold, 100-fold or even more as compared to the amount of (functional) FLC protein produced by a cell with wild type FLC expression levels. Said increase in expression and/or activity can be a constitutive increase in the amount of (functional) FLC protein produced. Said increase can also be a temporal decrease in the amount of (functional) FLC protein produced. An increase in the amount or activity of FLC can be measured as described elsewhere in this application. An increase in the expression and/or activity of FLC can be achieved for example by operably linking an FLC coding region to a promoter, such as any of the promoters described herein below, thereby driving FLC expression in e.g. a constitutive, inducible, temporal or tissue specific fashion depending on the choice of promoter.

Said nucleic acid which when transcribed results in an increased activity and/or expression of an FLC gene and/or protein can be a nucleic acid encoding a protein which activates expression and/or activity of said FLC protein. Examples include FRIGIDA, FRIGIDA LIKE1, FRIGIDA LIKE 2, FRIGIDA ESSENTIAL 1, SUF4 and FLC EXPRESSOR (Choi et al (2011) Plant Cell 23: 289-303.

In one embodiment, the nucleic acid encodes a zinc finger protein that binds to the gene encoding an FLC protein present in the plant, resulting in an increased expression of the target gene. In particular embodiments, the zinc finger protein binds to a regulatory region of said gene, thereby activating its expression. Methods of selecting sites for targeting by zinc finger proteins have been described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,242, and methods for using zinc finger proteins to inhibit the expression of genes in plants are described, for example, in US2003/0037355, each of which is herein incorporated by reference.

In another embodiment, the nucleic acid encodes a TALE protein that binds to a gene encoding an FLC protein present in the plant, resulting in an increased expression of the gene. In particular embodiments, the TALE protein binds to a regulatory region of said gene, thereby activating its expression. In other embodiments, the TALE protein binds to a messenger RNA encoding said protein and prevents its translation. Methods of selecting sites for targeting by TALE proteins have been described in e.g. Moscou M J, Bogdanove A J (2009) (A simple cipher governs DNA recognition by TAL effectors. Science 326:1501) and Morbitzer R, Romer P, Boch J, Lahaye T (2010) (Regulation of selected genome loci using de novo-engineered transcription activator-like effector (TALE)-type transcription factors. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107:21617-21622).

In again a further embodiment, said nucleic acid encodes an FLC protein, such as an FLC protein as described elsewhere in this application.

As used herein, the term “plant-expressible promoter” means a DNA sequence that is capable of controlling (initiating) transcription in a plant cell. This includes any promoter of plant origin, but also any promoter of non-plant origin which is capable of directing transcription in a plant cell, i.e., certain promoters of viral or bacterial origin such as the CaMV35S (Harpster et al. (1988) Mol Gen Genet. 212(1):182-90, the subterranean clover virus promoter No 4 or No 7 (WO9606932), or T-DNA gene promoters but also tissue-specific or organ-specific promoters including but not limited to seed-specific promoters (e.g., WO89/03887), organ-primordia specific promoters (An et al. (1996) Plant Cell 8(1):15-30), stem-specific promoters (Keller et al., (1988) EMBO J. 7(12): 3625-3633), leaf specific promoters (Hudspeth et al. (1989) Plant Mol Biol. 12: 579-589), mesophyl-specific promoters (such as the light-inducible Rubisco promoters), root-specific promoters (Keller et al. (1989) Genes Dev. 3: 1639-1646), tuber-specific promoters (Keil et al. (1989) EMBO J. 8(5): 1323-1330), vascular tissue specific promoters (Peleman et al. (1989) Gene 84: 359-369), stamen-selective promoters (WO 89/10396, WO 92/13956), dehiscence zone specific promoters (WO 97/13865) and the like. “Plant-expressible promoters” can also be inducible promoters, such as temperature-inducible promoters or chemically inducible promoters.

Suitable promoters for the invention are constitutive plant-expressible promoters leading to constitutive expression of the chimeric gene of the invention and thus to e.g. a constitutive increase or decrease in the expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein. Constitutive plant-expressible promoters are well known in the art, and include the CaMV35S promoter (Harpster et al. (1988) Mol Gen Genet. 212(1):182-90), Actin promoters, such as, for example, the promoter from the Rice Actin gene (McElroy et al., 1990, Plant Cell 2:163), the promoter of the Cassava Vein Mosaic Virus (Verdaguer et al., 1996 Plant Mol. Biol. 31: 1129), the GOS promoter (de Pater et al., 1992, Plant J. 2:837), the Histone H3 promoter (Chaubet et al., 1986, Plant Mol Biol 6:253), the Agrobacterium tumefaciens Nopaline Synthase (Nos) promoter (Depicker et al., 1982, J. Mol. Appl. Genet. 1: 561), or Ubiquitin promoters, such as, for example, the promoter of the maize Ubiquitin-1 gene (Christensen et al., 1992, Plant Mol. Biol. 18:675).

Other suitable promoters for the invention are inducible promoters, such as inducible promoters (e.g. stress-inducible promoters, drought-inducible promoters, hormone-inducible promoters, chemical-inducible promoters, etc.), tissue-specific promoters, developmentally regulated promoters and the like. A variety of plant gene promoters that regulate gene expression in response to environmental, hormonal, chemical, developmental signals, and in a tissue-active manner can be used for expression of a sequence in plants. Choice of a promoter is based largely on the phenotype of interest and is determined by such factors as tissue (e.g., seed, fruit, root, pollen, vascular tissue, flower, carpel, etc.), inducibility (e.g., in response to wounding, heat, cold, drought, light, pathogens, etc.), timing, developmental stage, and the like.

Examples of promoters that can be used to practice this invention are those that elicit expression in response to stresses, such as the RD29 promoters that are activated in response to drought, low temperature, salt stress, or exposure to ABA (Yamaguchi-Shinozaki et al., 2004, Plant Cell, Vol. 6, 251-264; WO12/101118), but also promoters that are induced in response to heat (e.g., see Ainley et al. (1993) Plant Mol. Biol. 22: 13-23), light (e.g., the pea rbcS-3A promoter, Kuhlemeier et al. (1989) Plant Cell 1: 471-478, and the maize rbcS promoter, Schaffher and Sheen (1991) Plant Cell 3: 997-1012); wounding (e.g., wunl, Siebertz et al. (1989) Plant Cell 1: 961-968); pathogens (such as the PR-I promoter described in Buchel et al. (1999) Plant Mol. Biol. 40: 387-396, and the PDF 1.2 promoter described in Manners et al. (1998) Plant Mol. Biol. 38: 1071-1080), and chemicals such as methyl jasmonate or salicylic acid (e.g., see Gatz (1997) Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol. Biol. 48: 89-108). In addition, the timing of the expression can be controlled by using promoters such as those acting at senescence (e.g., see Gan and Amasino (1995) Plant Cell 13(4): 935-942); or late seed development (e.g., see Odell et al. (1994) Plant Physiol. 106: 447-458).

Use may also be made of salt-inducible promoters such as the salt-inducible NHX1 promoter of rice landrace Pokkali (PKN) (Jahan et al., 6th International Rice Genetics symposium, 2009, poster abstract P4-37), the salt inducible promoter of the vacuolar H+-pyrophosphatase from Thellungiella halophila (TsVP1) (Sun et al., BMC Plant Biology 2010, 10:90), the salt-inducible promoter of the Citrus sinensis gene encoding phospholipid hydroperoxide isoform gpxl (Avsian-Kretchmer et al., Plant Physiology July 2004 vol. 135, p 1685-1696).

In alternative embodiments, tissue-specific and/or developmental stage-specific promoters are used, e.g., promoter that can promote transcription only within a certain time frame of developmental stage within that tissue. See, e.g., Blazquez (1998) Plant Cell 10:791-800, characterizing the Arabidopsis LEAFY gene promoter. See also Cardon (1997) Plant J 12:367-77, describing the transcription factor SPL3, which recognizes a conserved sequence motif in the promoter region of the A. thaliana floral meristem identity gene API; and Mandel (1995) Plant Molecular Biology, Vol. 29, pp 995-1004, describing the meristem promoter eIF4. Tissue specific promoters which are active throughout the life cycle of a particular tissue can be used. In one aspect, the nucleic acids of the invention are operably linked to a promoter active primarily only in cotton fiber cells, in one aspect, the nucleic acids of the invention are operably linked to a promoter active primarily during the stages of cotton fiber cell elongation, e.g., as described by Rinehart (1996) supra. The nucleic acids can be operably linked to the Fbl2A gene promoter to be preferentially expressed in cotton fiber cells (Ibid). See also, John (1997) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:5769-5773; John, et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,608,148 and 5,602,321, describing cotton fiber-specific promoters and methods for the construction of transgenic cotton plants. Root-specific promoters may also be used to express the nucleic acids of the invention. Examples of root-specific promoters include the promoter from the alcohol dehydrogenase gene (DeLisle (1990) Int. Rev. Cytol. 123:39-60) and promoters such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,618,988, 5,837,848 and 5,905,186. Other promoters that can be used to express the nucleic acids of the invention include, e.g., ovule-specific, embryo-specific, endosperm-specific, integument-specific, seed coat-specific promoters, or some combination thereof; a leaf-specific promoter (see, e.g., Busk (1997) Plant J. 11:1285 1295, describing a leaf-specific promoter in maize); the ORF 13 promoter from Agrobacterium rhizogenes (which exhibits high activity in roots, see, e.g., Hansen (1997) supra); a maize pollen specific promoter (see, e.g., Guerrero (1990) Mol. Gen. Genet. 224:161 168); a tomato promoter active during fruit ripening, senescence and abscission of leaves, a guard-cell preferential promoter e.g. as described in PCT/EP12/065608, and, to a lesser extent, of flowers can be used (see, e.g., Blume (1997) Plant J. 12:731 746); a pistil-specific promoter from the potato SK2 gene (see, e.g., Ficker (1997) Plant Mol. Biol. 35:425 431); the Blec4 gene from pea, which is active in epidermal tissue of vegetative and floral shoot apices of transgenic alfalfa making it a useful tool to target the expression of foreign genes to the epidermal layer of actively growing shoots or fibers; the ovule-specific BEL1 gene (see, e.g., Reiser (1995) Cell 83:735-742, GenBank No. U39944); and/or, the promoter in Klee, U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,583, describing a plant promoter region is capable of conferring high levels of transcription in meristematic tissue and/or rapidly dividing cells. Further tissue specific promoters that may be used according to the invention include: seed-specific promoters (such as the napin, phaseolin or DC3 promoter described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,773,697), fruit-specific promoters that are active during fruit ripening (such as the dru 1 promoter (U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,393), or the 2A1 1 promoter (e.g., see U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,674) and the tomato polygalacturonase promoter (e.g., see Bird et al. (1988) Plant Mol. Biol. 11: 651-662), flower-specific promoters (e.g., see Kaiser et al. (1995) Plant Mol. Biol. 28: 231-243), pollen-active promoters such as PTA29, PTA26 and PTA13 (e.g., see U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,929) and as described in e.g. Baerson et al. (1994 Plant Mol. Biol. 26: 1947-1959), promoters active in vascular tissue (e.g., see Ringli and Keller (1998) Plant Mol. Biol. 37: 977-988), carpels (e.g., see OhI et al. (1990) Plant Cell 2:), pollen and ovules (e.g., see Baerson et al. (1993) Plant Mol. Biol. 22: 255-267). In alternative embodiments, plant promoters which are inducible upon exposure to plant hormones, such as auxins, are used to express the nucleic acids used to practice the invention. For example, the invention can use the auxin-response elements El promoter fragment (AuxREs) in the soybean {Glycine max L.) (Liu (1997) Plant Physiol. 115:397-407); the auxin-responsive Arabidopsis GST6 promoter (also responsive to salicylic acid and hydrogen peroxide) (Chen (1996) Plant J. 10: 955-966); the auxin-inducible parC promoter from tobacco (Sakai (1996) 37:906-913); a plant biotin response element (Streit (1997) Mol. Plant Microbe Interact. 10:933-937); and, the promoter responsive to the stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA) (Sheen (1996) Science 274:1900-1902). Further hormone inducible promoters that may be used include auxin-inducible promoters (such as that described in van der Kop et al. (1999) Plant Mol. Biol. 39: 979-990 or Baumann et al., (1999) Plant Cell 11: 323-334), cytokinin-inducible promoter (e.g., see Guevara-Garcia (1998) Plant Mol. Biol. 38: 743-753), promoters responsive to gibberellin (e.g., see Shi et al. (1998) Plant Mol. Biol. 38: 1053-1060, Willmott et al. (1998) Plant Molec. Biol. 38: 817-825) and the like.

In alternative embodiments, nucleic acids used to practice the invention can also be operably linked to plant promoters which are inducible upon exposure to chemical reagents which can be applied to the plant, such as herbicides or antibiotics. For example, the maize In2-2 promoter, activated by benzenesulfonamide herbicide safeners, can be used (De Veylder (1997) Plant Cell Physiol. 38:568-577); application of different herbicide safeners induces distinct gene expression patterns, including expression in the root, hydathodes, and the shoot apical meristem. Coding sequence can be under the control of, e.g., a tetracycline-inducible promoter, e.g., as described with transgenic tobacco plants containing the Avena sativa L. (oat) arginine decarboxylase gene (Masgrau (1997) Plant J. 11:465-473); or, a salicylic acid-responsive element (Stange (1997) Plant J. 11:1315-1324). Using chemically- {e.g., hormone- or pesticide-) induced promoters, i.e., promoter responsive to a chemical which can be applied to the transgenic plant in the field, expression of a polypeptide of the invention can be induced at a particular stage of development of the plant. Use may also be made of the estrogen-inducible expression system as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,784,340 and Zuo et al. (2000, Plant J. 24: 265-273) to drive the expression of the nucleic acids used to practice the invention.

In alternative embodiments, a promoter may be used whose host range is limited to target plant species, such as corn, rice, barley, wheat, potato or other crops, inducible at any stage of development of the crop.

In alternative embodiments, a tissue-specific plant promoter may drive expression of operably linked sequences in tissues other than the target tissue. In alternative embodiments, a tissue-specific promoter that drives expression preferentially in the target tissue or cell type, but may also lead to some expression in other tissues as well, is used.

According to the invention, use may also be made, in combination with the promoter, of other regulatory sequences, which are located between the promoter and the coding sequence, such as transcription activators (“enhancers”), for instance the translation activator of the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) described in Application WO 87/07644, or of the tobacco etch virus (TEV) described by Carrington & Freed 1990, J. Virol. 64: 1590-1597, for example.

Other regulatory sequences that enhance the expression of the nucleic acid of the invention may also be located within the chimeric gene. One example of such regulatory sequences are introns. Introns are intervening sequences present in the pre-mRNA but absent in the mature RNA following excision by a precise splicing mechanism. The ability of natural introns to enhance gene expression, a process referred to as intron-mediated enhancement (IME), has been known in various organisms, including mammals, insects, nematodes and plants (WO 07/098042, p 11-12). IME is generally described as a posttranscriptional mechanism leading to increased gene expression by stabilization of the transcript. The intron is required to be positioned between the promoter and the coding sequence in the normal orientation. However, some introns have also been described to affect translation, to function as promoters or as position and orientation independent transcriptional enhancers (Chaubet-Gigot et al., 2001, Plant Mol Biol. 45(1):17-30, p 27-28).

In connection with the present invention suitable examples of genes containing such introns include the 5′ introns from the rice actin 1 gene (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,876), the rice actin 2 gene, the maize sucrose synthase gene (Clancy and Hannah, 2002, Plant Physiol. 130(2):918-29), the maize alcohol dehydrogenase-1 (Adh-1) and Bronze-1 genes (Callis et al. 1987 Genes Dev. 1(10):1183-200; Mascarenhas et al. 1990, Plant Mol Biol. 15(6):913-20), the maize heat shock protein 70 gene (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,874), the maize shrunken 1 gene, the light sensitive 1 gene of Solanum tuberosum, and the heat shock protein 70 gene of Petunia hybrida (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,122), the replacement histone H3 gene from alfalfa (Keleman et al. 2002 Transgenic Res. 11(1):69-72) and either replacement histone H3 (histone H3.3-like) gene of Arabidopsis thaliana (Chaubet-Gigot et al., 2001, Plant Mol Biol. 45(1):17-30).

Other suitable regulatory sequences include 5′ UTRs. As used herein, a 5′UTR, also referred to as leader sequence, is a particular region of a messenger RNA (mRNA) located between the transcription start site and the start codon of the coding region. It is involved in mRNA stability and translation efficiency. For example, the 5′ untranslated leader of a petunia chlorophyll a/b binding protein gene downstream of the 35S transcription start site can be utilized to augment steady-state levels of reporter gene expression (Harpster et al., 1988, Mol Gen Genet. 212(1):182-90). WO95/006742 describes the use of 5′ non-translated leader sequences derived from genes coding for heat shock proteins to increase transgene expression. A “3′ end region involved in transcription termination and polyadenylation functional in plants” as used herein is a sequence that drives the cleavage of the nascent RNA, whereafter a poly(A) tail is added at the resulting RNA 3′ end, functional in plant cells. Transcription termination and polyadenylation signals functional in plant cells include, but are not limited to, 3′nos, 3′35S, 3′his and 3′g7.

“Introducing” in this respect, relates to the placing of genetic information in a plant cell or plant by artificial means, such as transformation. This can be effected by any method known in the art for introducing RNA or DNA into plant cells, tissues, protoplasts or whole plants. In addition to artificial introduction as described above, “introducing” also comprises introgressing genes as defined further below.

Transformation means introducing a nucleotide sequence into a plant in a manner to cause stable or transient expression of the sequence. Transformation and regeneration of both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plant cells is now routine, and the selection of the most appropriate transformation technique will be determined by the practitioner. The choice of method will vary with the type of plant to be transformed; those skilled in the art will recognize the suitability of particular methods for given plant types. Suitable methods can include, but are not limited to: electroporation of plant protoplasts; liposome-mediated transformation; polyethylene glycol (PEG) mediated transformation; transformation using viruses; micro-injection of plant cells; micro-projectile bombardment of plant cells; vacuum infiltration; and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation.

In alternative embodiments, the invention uses Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation. Also other bacteria capable of transferring nucleic acid molecules into plant cells may be used, such as certain soil bacteria of the order of the Rhizobiales, e.g. Rhizobiaceae (e.g. Rhizobium spp., Sinorhizobium spp., Agrobacterium spp); Phyllobacteriaceae (e.g. Mesorhizobium spp., Phyllobacterium spp.); Brucellaceae (e.g. Ochrobactrum spp.); Bradyrhizobiaceae (e.g. Bradyrhizobium spp.), and Xanthobacteraceae (e.g. Azorhizobium spp.), Agrobacterium spp., Rhizobium spp., Sinorhizobium spp., Mesorhizobium spp., Phyllobacterium spp. Ochrobactrum spp. and Bradyrhizobium spp., examples of which include Ochrobactrum sp., Rhizobium sp., Mesorhizobium loti, Sinorhizobium meliloti. Examples of Rhizobia include R. leguminosarum by, trifolii, R. leguminosarum bv, phaseoli and Rhizobium leguminosarum, by, viciae (U.S. Pat. No. 7,888,552). Other bacteria that can be employed to carry out the invention which are capable of transforming plants cells and induce the incorporation of foreign DNA into the plant genome are bacteria of the genera Azobacter (aerobic), Closterium (strictly anaerobic), Klebsiella (optionally aerobic), and Rhodospirillum (anaerobic, photosynthetically active). Transfer of a Ti plasmid was also found to confer tumor inducing ability on several Rhizobiaceae members such as Rhizobium trifolii, Rhizobium leguminosarum and Phyllobacterium myrsinacearum, while Rhizobium sp. NGR234, Sinorhizobium meliloti and Mesorhizobium loti could indeed be modified to mediate gene transfer to a number of diverse plants (Broothaerts et al., 2005, Nature, 433:629-633).

In alternative embodiments, making transgenic plants or seeds comprises incorporating sequences used to practice the invention and, in one aspect (optionally), marker genes into a target expression construct (e.g., a plasmid), along with positioning of the promoter and the terminator sequences. This can involve transferring the modified gene into the plant through a suitable method. For example, a construct may be introduced directly into the genomic DNA of the plant cell using techniques such as electroporation and microinjection of plant cell protoplasts, or the constructs can be introduced directly to plant tissue using ballistic methods, such as DNA particle bombardment. For example, see, e.g., Christou (1997) Plant Mol. Biol. 35:197-203; Pawlowski (1996) Mol. Biotechnol. 6:17-30; Klein (1987) Nature 327:70-73; Takumi (1997) Genes Genet. Syst. 72:63-69, discussing use of particle bombardment to introduce transgenes into wheat; and Adam (1997) supra, for use of particle bombardment to introduce YACs into plant cells. For example, Rinehart (1997) supra, used particle bombardment to generate transgenic cotton plants. Apparatus for accelerating particles is described U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,580; and, the commercially available BioRad (Biolistics) PDS-2000 particle acceleration instrument; see also, John, U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,148; and Ellis, U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,730, describing particle-mediated transformation of gymnosperms.

In alternative embodiments, protoplasts can be immobilized and injected with a nucleic acids, e.g., an expression construct. Although plant regeneration from protoplasts is not easy with cereals, plant regeneration is possible in legumes using somatic embryogenesis from protoplast derived callus. Organized tissues can be transformed with naked DNA using gene gun technique, where DNA is coated on tungsten microprojectiles, shot 1/100th the size of cells, which carry the DNA deep into cells and organelles. Transformed tissue is then induced to regenerate, usually by somatic embryogenesis. This technique has been successful in several cereal species including maize and rice.

In alternative embodiments, a third step can involve selection and regeneration of whole plants capable of transmitting the incorporated target gene to the next generation. Such regeneration techniques rely on manipulation of certain phytohormones in a tissue culture growth medium, typically relying on a biocide and/or herbicide marker that has been introduced together with the desired nucleotide sequences. Plant regeneration from cultured protoplasts is described in Evans et al., Protoplasts Isolation and Culture, Handbook of Plant Cell Culture, pp. 124-176, Macmillan Publishing Company, New York, 1983; and Binding, Regeneration of Plants, Plant Protoplasts, pp. 21-73, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1985. Regeneration can also be obtained from plant callus, explants, organs, or parts thereof. Such regeneration techniques are described generally in Klee (1987) Ann. Rev. of Plant Phys. 38:467-486. To obtain whole plants from transgenic tissues such as immature embryos, they can be grown under controlled environmental conditions in a series of media containing nutrients and hormones, a process known as tissue culture. Once whole plants are generated and produce seed, evaluation of the progeny begins.

Viral transformation (transduction) may also be used for transient or stable expression of a gene, depending on the nature of the virus genome. The desired genetic material is packaged into a suitable plant virus and the modified virus is allowed to infect the plant. The progeny of the infected plants is virus free and also free of the inserted gene. Suitable methods for viral transformation are described or further detailed e.g. in WO 90/12107, WO 03/052108 or WO 2005/098004.

In alternative embodiments, after the chimeric gene is stably incorporated in transgenic plants, it can be introduced into other plants by sexual crossing or introgression. Any of a number of standard breeding techniques can be used, depending upon the species to be crossed. Since transgenic expression of the nucleic acids of the invention leads to phenotypic changes, plants comprising the recombinant nucleic acids of the invention can be sexually crossed with a second plant to obtain a final product. Thus, the seed of the invention can be derived from a cross between two transgenic plants of the invention, or a cross between a plant of the invention and another plant. The desired effects (e.g., expression of the polypeptides of the invention to produce a plant in which flowering behavior is altered) can be enhanced when both parental plants express the polypeptides, e.g., an HDC1 gene of the invention. The desired effects can be passed to future plant generations by standard propagation means.

Successful examples of the modification of plant characteristics by transformation with cloned sequences which serve to illustrate the current knowledge in this field of technology, and include for example: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,571,706; 5,677,175; 5,510,471; 5,750,386; 5,597,945; 5,589,615; 5,750,871; 5,268,526; 5,780,708; 5,538,880; 5,773,269; 5,736,369 and 5,619,042.

In some embodiments, following transformation, plants are selected using a dominant selectable marker incorporated into the transformation vector. Such a marker can confer antibiotic or herbicide resistance on the transformed plants, and selection of transformants can be accomplished by exposing the plants to appropriate concentrations of the antibiotic or herbicide.

In some embodiments, after transformed plants are selected and grown to maturity, those plants showing a modified trait are identified. The modified trait can be any of those traits described above. In alternative embodiments, to confirm that the modified trait is due to changes in expression levels or activity of the transgenic polypeptide or nucleic acid can be determined by analyzing mRNA expression using Northern blots, RT-PCR or microarrays, or protein expression using immunoblots or Western blots or gel shift assays.

“Introgressing” means the integration of a gene in a plant's genome by natural means, i.e. by crossing a plant comprising the chimeric gene or mutant allele described herein with a plant not comprising said chimeric gene or mutant allele. The offspring can be selected for those comprising the chimeric gene or mutant allele.

A further embodiment provides methods according to the invention wherein said monocot plant is a cereal plant, such as a temperate cereal plant (e.g. a winter variety thereof), such as a wheat plant (e.g. a winter variety thereof).

Cereal plants, also called grain plants, include, but are not limited to, Rice (Oryza sativa), Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Durum wheat, macaroni wheat (Triticum durum), Corn or maize (Zea mays), Job's Tears, salay, tigbe, pawas (Coix lachryma-jobi), Barley (Hordeum vulgare), Millet (Panicum miliaceum, Eleusine coracana, Setaria italica, Pennisetum glaucum), Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), Oat (Avena sativa), Rye (Secale cereale), Triticale (xTriticosecale), Teff, taf or khak shir (Eragrostis tef), Fonio (Digitaria exilis), Wild rice, Canada rice, Indian rice, water oats (Zizania spp.), Spelt (Triticum spelta), Canary grass (Phalaris sp.).

Temperate cereal plants are cereal plants that grow in regions with and are well adapted to a temperate or cool climate, and include e.g. corn, barley, wheat (including spelt), rye and oats. Most varieties of a particular species are either winter or spring types. Winter varieties are sown in the autumn, germinate and grow vegetatively, then become dormant during winter. They resume growing in the springtime and mature in late spring or early summer. Winter varieties do not flower until springtime because they require vernalization: exposure to low temperature for a genetically determined length of time. Where winters are too warm for vernalization or exceed the hardiness of the crop (which varies by species and variety), farmers grow spring varieties. Spring cereals are planted in early springtime and mature later that same summer, without vernalization. Spring cereals typically require more irrigation and yield less than winter cereals. Warm climate cereals are grown in tropical lowlands year-round and in temperate climates during the frost-free season, and include for example rice and sorghum.

Wheat plants as used herein are plants of the Triticum ssp, such as Triticum aestivum and Triticum durum or Triticum spelta.

In again a further embodiment, the FLC gene comprises a nucleotide sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17 or wherein said FLC protein comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18.

As used herein, at least 80% sequence identity can be at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 98%, at least 99% or 100% sequence identity.

Further provided is a chimeric gene as described in the methods of the invention, and a plant, plant part, plant organ, plant cell or seed comprising said chimeric gene.

The invention further provides a monocot plant, plant part, plant organ, plant cell or seed, obtainable according to the methods of the invention, wherein the expression and/or activity of an FLC gene and/or protein has been altered as compared to a control plant. Also provided is a monocot plant comprising a mutant allele of an FLC gene, said mutant allele resulting in a alteration of the expression and/or activity of the FLC protein encoded by said gene compared to a plant not comprising said mutation (i.e. comprising a wild-type FLC allele) in which, optionally, the (temperature-dependent) flowering time or the seed germination has been modulated compared to said plant not comprising said mutation. Said monocot plant, plant part, plant organ, plant cell or seed can be e.g. a cereal plant, plant part, plant organ, plant cell or seed, such as a temperate cereal (e.g a winter variety) plant, plant part, plant organ, plant cell or seed, such as wheat (winter variety) plant, plant part, plant organ, plant cell or seed.

According to a further embodiment, the FLC protein comprised in the plant, plant part, plant organ or plant cell according to the invention has at least 80% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 an 18 or wherein said FLC protein is encoded by a nucleotide sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17. In an even further embodiment, the plant according to the invention is a cereal plant, such as a temperate cereal plant, such as a wheat plant.

Further provided is a method for identifying a monocot plant, such as a cereal plant, or a temperate cereal plant, or a wheat plant, with a modulated (temperature-dependent) flowering, seed development and/or with modulated seed germination comprising the step of

-   -   a. providing a population of monocot plants (of the same         species), for example a population that has been subjected to         mutagenesis,     -   b. identifying one or more plants with a mutant allele of an FLC         gene, such as an FLC gene having at least 80% sequence identity         to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17, or         an FLC gene encoding a protein having at least 80% sequence         identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and         16; and     -   c. identifying within said plants with a mutant allele of an FLC         gene, such as an FLC gene having at least 80% sequence identity         to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17, or         an FLC gene encoding a protein having at least 80% sequence         identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16         and 18, one or more plants that have a modulated flowering time         or seed germination compared to a plant of the same species not         comprising said mutation.

A mutant allele of an FLC gene as used herein can be a mutant allele wherein FLC activity is increased. Alternatively, said mutant allele of an FLC gene can be a knock-out FLC allele or can result in an FLC protein with reduced activity, which can be measured as described elsewhere in this application.

In a further embodiment, an FLC protein or a functional fragment thereof is provided which is obtainable from a monocot plant, such as from a cereal plant, such as from a temperate cereal, such as a wheat plant, e.g. an FLC protein which has an amino acid sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18. Preferably, in the FLC proteins having at least 80% sequence identity, only the third nucleotide of a codon is altered.

In a further embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence encoding the FLC protein according to the invention is provided, such as a nucleic acid molecule having at least 80% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17.

A further aspect of the invention provides the use of the chimeric gene according to the invention, of the protein according to the invention, or of the nucleic acid sequence according to the invention to modulate (temperature-dependent) flowering time, seed development, seed maturation or seed germination in a monocot plant, such as a cereal plant, such as a temperate cereal plant, such as a wheat plant.

A nucleic acid or polynucleotide, as used herein, can be DNA or RNA, single- or double-stranded. Nucleic acids can be synthesized chemically or produced by biological expression in vitro or even in vivo. Nucleic acids can be chemically synthesized using appropriately protected ribonucleoside phosphoramidites and a conventional DNA/RNA synthesizer. Suppliers of RNA synthesis reagents are for example Proligo (Hamburg, Germany), Dharmacon Research (Lafayette, Colo., USA), Pierce Chemical (part of Perbio Science, Rockford, Ill., USA), Glen Research (Sterling, Va., USA), ChemGenes (Ashland, Mass., USA), and Cruachem (Glasgow, UK). In connection with the chimeric gene of the present disclosure, DNA includes cDNA and genomic DNA.

The terms “protein” or “polypeptide” as used herein describe a group of molecules consisting of more than 30 amino acids, whereas the term “peptide” describes molecules consisting of up to 30 amino acids. Proteins and peptides may further form dimers, trimers and higher oligomers, i.e. consisting of more than one (poly)peptide molecule. Protein or peptide molecules forming such dimers, trimers etc. may be identical or non-identical. The corresponding higher order structures are, consequently, termed homo- or heterodimers, homo- or heterotrimers etc. The terms “protein” and “peptide” also refer to naturally modified proteins or peptides wherein the modification is effected e.g. by glycosylation, acetylation, phosphorylation and the like. Such modifications are well known in the art.

The term “comprising” is to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated parts, steps or components, but does not exclude the presence of one or more additional parts, steps or components. A plant comprising a certain trait may thus comprise additional traits.

It is understood that when referring to a word in the singular (e.g. plant or root), the plural is also included herein (e.g. a plurality of plants, a plurality of roots). Thus, reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements. The indefinite article “a” or “an” thus usually means “at least one”.

For the purpose of this invention, the “sequence identity” of two related nucleotide or amino acid sequences, expressed as a percentage, refers to the number of positions in the two optimally aligned sequences which have identical residues (×100) divided by the number of positions compared. A gap, i.e., a position in an alignment where a residue is present in one sequence but not in the other, is regarded as a position with non-identical residues. The “optimal alignment” of two sequences is found by aligning the two sequences over the entire length according to the Needleman and Wunsch global alignment algorithm (Needleman and Wunsch, 1970, J Mol Biol 48(3):443-53) in The European Molecular Biology Open Software Suite (EMBOSS, Rice et al., 2000, Trends in Genetics 16(6): 276-277; see e.g. http://www.ebi.ac.uk/emboss/align/index.html) using default settings (gap opening penalty=10 (for nucleotides)/10 (for proteins) and gap extension penalty=0.5 (for nucleotides)/0.5 (for proteins)). For nucleotides the default scoring matrix used is EDNAFULL and for proteins the default scoring matrix is EBLOSUM62.

“Substantially identical” or “essentially similar”, as used herein, refers to sequences, which, when optimally aligned as defined above, share at least a certain minimal percentage of sequence identity (as defined abovefurther below).

Whenever reference to a “plant” or “plants” according to the invention is made, it is understood that also plant parts cells, tissues or organs, seed pods, seeds, severed parts such as roots, leaves, flowers, pollen, etc. are included. Whenever reference to a “plant” or “plants” according to the invention is made, it is understood that also progeny of the plants which retain the distinguishing characteristics of the parents (especially modulated flowering time, seed development, seed maturation or modulated seed germination), such as seed obtained by selfing or crossing, e.g. hybrid seed (obtained by crossing two inbred parental lines), hybrid plants and plant parts derived there from are encompassed herein, such as progeny comprising a chimeric gene or mutant/knock-out FLC allele according to the invention, unless otherwise indicated.

In some embodiments, the plant cells of the invention, i.e. a plant cell in which expression of an FLC gene and/or protein is modulated, as well as plant cells generated according to the methods of the invention, may be a non-propagating plant cell or a plant cell that cannot be regenerated into a plant or a plant cell that cannot maintain its life by synthesizing carbohydrate and protein from the inorganics, such as water, carbon dioxide, and inorganic salt, through photosynthesis.

“Creating propagating material”, as used herein, relates to any means know in the art to produce further plants, plant parts or seeds and includes inter alia vegetative reproduction methods (e.g. air or ground layering, division, (bud) grafting, micropropagation, stolons or runners, storage organs such as bulbs, corms, tubers and rhizomes, striking or cutting, twin-scaling), sexual reproduction (crossing with another plant) and asexual reproduction (e.g. apomixis, somatic hybridization).

Unless stated otherwise in the Examples, all recombinant DNA techniques are carried out according to standard protocols as described in Sambrook et al. (1989) Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Second Edition, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, NY and in Volumes 1 and 2 of Ausubel et al. (1994) Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Current Protocols, USA. Standard materials and methods for plant molecular work are described in Plant Molecular Biology Labfax (1993) by R. D. D. Croy, jointly published by BIOS Scientific Publications Ltd (UK) and Blackwell Scientific Publications, UK. Other references for standard molecular biology techniques include Sambrook and Russell (2001) Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Third Edition, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, NY, Volumes I and II of Brown (1998) Molecular Biology LabFax, Second Edition, Academic Press (UK). Standard materials and methods for polymerase chain reactions can be found in Dieffenbach and Dveksler (1995) PCR Primer: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, and in McPherson at al. (2000) PCR—Basics: From Background to Bench, First Edition, Springer Verlag, Germany.

All patents, patent applications, and publications or public disclosures (including publications on internet) referred to or cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

The sequence listing contained in the file named “BCS13-2008_ST25.txt”, which is 52 kilobytes (size as measured in Microsoft Windows®), contains 27 sequences SEQ ID NO: 1 through SEQ ID NO: 27 is filed herewith by electronic submission and is incorporated by reference herein.

SEQUENCES

-   -   SEQ ID NO: 1: Triticum aestivum MADS2 coding sequence     -   SEQ ID NO: 2: Triticum aestivum MADS2 protein     -   SEQ ID NO: 3: Triticum aestivum TaAGL42 coding sequence     -   SEQ ID NO: 4: Triticum aestivum TaAGL42 protein     -   SEQ ID NO: 5: Triticum aestivum TaAGL41 coding sequence     -   SEQ ID NO: 6: Triticum aestivum TaAGL41 protein     -   SEQ ID NO: 7: Triticum aestivum TaAGL33 coding sequence     -   SEQ ID NO: 8: Triticum aestivum TaAGL33 protein     -   SEQ ID NO: 9: Triticum aestivum TaALG12 coding sequence     -   SEQ ID NO: 10: Triticum aestivum TaALG12 protein     -   SEQ ID NO: 11: Triticum aestivum TaAGL22 coding sequence     -   SEQ ID NO: 12: Triticum aestivum TaAGL22 protein     -   SEQ ID NO: 13: Brachypodium distachyon MADS37 coding sequence     -   SEQ ID NO: 14: Brachypodium distachyon MADS37 protein     -   SEQ ID NO: 15: Brachypodium distachyon ODDSOC1 coding sequence     -   SEQ ID NO: 16: Brachypodium distachyon ODDSOC1 protein     -   SEQ ID NO: 17: Brachypodium distachyon ODDSOC2 coding sequence     -   SEQ ID NO: 18: Brachypodium distachyon ODDSOC2 protein     -   SEQ ID NO: 19: Forward PCR primer Bradi2g59187     -   SEQ ID NO: 20: Reverse PCR primer Bradi2g59187     -   SEQ ID NO: 21: Forward PCR primer Bradi2g59120     -   SEQ ID NO: 22: Reverse PCR primer Bradi2g59120     -   SEQ ID NO: 23: Forward PCR primer Bradi3g41297     -   SEQ ID NO: 24: Reverse PCR primer Bradi3g41297     -   SEQ ID NO: 25: Forward PCR primer UBC18     -   SEQ ID NO: 26: Reverse PCR primer UBC18     -   SEQ ID NO: 27: Expression vector pIPKb002-BdMADS37

EXAMPLES

It has previously been suggested that the vernalization response in temperate cereals and eudicots has evolved independently (Alexandre & Hennig (2008) (supra); Kim et al (2009) (supra); Hemming & Trevaskis (2011) (supra)) and does not involve FLC. It was believed that FLC genes do not exist in such plants (Alexandre & Hennig (2008) supra; Colasanti & Coneva (2009) supra, Jarillo & Pineiro (2011) Plant Sci. 181: 364-378; Yan et al (2003) supra; Yan et al (2004) supra; Yan et al (2006) supra; Cockram et al (2007) supra), and based on sequence similarity no FLC homologues could be identified in cereals (Greenup et al. 2010, supra). Here, a different, novel approach was followed to identify FLC genes in cereals, based on the observed conservation of tandem repeat arrangements in core eudicot genomes between SEP3-, SEP1-, SQUA- and FLC-like genes.

Example 1—Methods

Local Synteny

Local synteny was qualitatively determined using the genome browsers implemented in Phytozome (Goodstein et al (2012) Nucleic Acids Res. 40, D1178), PLAZA 2.5 (Van Bel et al (2012) Plant Phys. 158, 590), solgenomics (Bombarely et al (2010) Nucleic Acids Res. 39, D1149) and the Amborella Genome Project (http://www.amborella.org; funded by the National Science Foundation grant #0922742). Tandem repeats and shared syntenic markers around SEPALLATA- and SQUAMOSA-like genes were identified by BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Searches Tool) searches against the GenBank database.

Detecting Synteny Using i-ADHoRe

To trace ancient syntenic relationships, a novel approach was adopted. Clustering an all-against-all blast using relaxed settings generated crude gene families. Using i-ADHoRe 3.0 in hybrid mode (Proost et al (2012) Nucleic Acids Res. 40, ell), the grapevine genome was scanned for significant colinear and syntenic regions. In this mode first colinear regions are detected and hidden from the dataset and in a next step the remaining fraction of the genome is scanned for additional syntenic regions.

First, a dataset was composed consisting of all angiosperm proteins from PLAZA 2.5 (Van Bel et al (2012) (supra)), combined with proteins of more recently sequenced species, Brassica rapa (Wang et al (2011) Nat. Genet. 43, 1035), tomato (The Tomato Genome Consortium (2012) Nature 485, 635) and potato (The Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium (2011) Nature 475, 189). Additionally the Vitis vinifera annotation was downloaded from PLAZA 2.5 and converted to input for i-ADHoRe 3.0 (Proost et al (2012) Nucleic Acids Res. 40, ell). An all-against-all blastp was run (version 2.2.27+ using default settings) (Altschul et al (1997) Nucleic Acids Res. 25, 3389) to determine pairwise similarities between all proteins in the dataset. Using tribe-MCL (Enright et al (2002) Nucleic Acids Res. 30, 1575) the blast output was clustered into homologous gene families (settings: blast-m9, blast-ecut=1e-03, blast-score=e, mcl-I=1.2 and mcl-scheme=4).

For the detection of significant synteny, i-ADHoRe 3.0 was used in hybrid mode, where first colinear regions are detected and removed and in the remainder of the gene homology matrices syntenic regions are detected. (cluster_type=hybrid, cloud_gap_size=10, cloud_cluster_gap=15, cloud_filter_method=binomial_corr, gap_size=30, cluster_gap=35, q_value=0.75, alignment_method=gg2, level_2_only=false, prob_cutoff=0.001, anchor_points=3 and multiple_hypothesis_correction=FDR). A less stringent run was performed with a prob_cutoff of 0.05, cloud_gap_size=20 and cloud_cluster_gap=25.

Detection of Markers (without Synteny)

Vitis MADS box genes were extracted together with 40 protein-coding genes up- and downstream and stored as a list per gene. Redundancy due to tandems was removed and the remaining lists were screened for marker genes that could be used to provide additional insight in the origin of the SEP3-FLC, SEP1-SQUA and AGL6-SOC1 tandem arrangements. Here valid markers are sets of at least three homologous genes, which occur in proximity of all three classes MADS-box genes.

Taxon Sampling, Multiple Sequence Alignment and Phylogenetic Analyses.

We performed BLAST searches using core eudicot FLC sequences represented in a published FLC phylogeny (Reeves et al (2007) Genetics 176, 295) against the GenBank, TIGR (The Institute for Genomic Research) and AAGP (Ancestral Angiosperm Genome Project) databases to retrieve additional core eudicot FLC-like genes. Based on the observation of conserved tandem repeat arrangements in core eudicot genomes between SEP3-, SEP1-, SQUA- and FLC-like genes, we found OsMADS37 as a candidate FLC-like sequence in rice. This sequence was used in BLASTN searches to identify similar sequences present in the Genbank database and all sequences retrieved were included in a data matrix for phylogenetic analysis. In addition, we putatively identified the ODDSOC2 clade from the Barley (Hordeum) EST collection through weaker similarity with OsMADS37. Using BLAST searches similar sequences were included in further analyses. We attempted to comprehensively sample all major subfamilies of MIKCc type MADS-box genes (Becker & Theissen (2003) Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 29, 464) to investigate the evolutionary affinities of the sequences found. These subfamilies were consistently represented by sequences of at least one asterid, rosid, magnoliophyte, monocot and gymnosperm when available. Finally, known charophyte, moss and fern MIKCc-type MADS-box genes were included. Using the above sampling rationale we obtained a nucleotide data-matrix consisting of 254 sequences, which was aligned using MAFFT v6 (Katoh & Toh (2008) BMC Bioinformatics 9,212) and manually refined using MacClade4 (Maddison & Maddison (2003) MacClade 4: Analysis of phylogeny and character evolution. (Sinauer Associates, Massachusetts, USA) 4.06).

C-terminal sequences could not be unambiguously aligned and were therefore excluded from the alignment. In addition, several gene specific insertions were also removed which resulted in a final alignment of 528 bp. The jModeltest program (Posada (2008) Mol. Biol. Evol. 25, 1253) was used to determine the best-fit model of nucleotide substitution according to the Akaike information criterion, which selected the GTR+I+G evolutionary model.

The maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analysis was performed using PhyML 3.0 (Guindon et al (2010) Syst. Biol. 59, 307). Bootstrap values summarize 100 bootstrap replicates. Bayesian analysis was carried out using MrBayes 3.2 (Ronquist & Huelsenbeck (2003) Bioinformatics 19, 1572). Two independent runs with each 4 Markov Chain Monte Carlo chains were run for 15,000,000 generations and sampled every 1,000 generations. After convergence indicated by a standard deviation of split frequencies <0.02, we removed the first 25% of the sampled trees as burn-in. The posterior distribution over trees is presented as a majority-rule consensus tree and posterior probabilities are indicated at their respective nodes. Both trees were rooted using charophyte MIKCc type MADS-box genes.

qRT-PCR Quantification of FLC-Like Genes in Brachypodium

Brachypodium distachyon plants were grown in pots containing 50:50 soil:vermiculite. Plantlets were pre-grown under long-days (16 h light-8 h dark; 54 photons μmol m-2 s-1) at 28° C. until the third leaf fully emerged. These “three-leaf” plantlets were subsequently transferred to another growth chamber at 4° C. (vernalization treatment) or 28° C. (control) (16 h light-8 h dark; 20 photons μmol m-2 s-1) during 6 weeks and plants were harvested pre-vernalization and at 2, 4, and 6 weeks. Immediately after harvesting, samples were flash frozen in liquid nitrogen. RNA was extracted from whole plants with their root removed using Trizol (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, US). Subsequently all RNA samples were DNase treated using TURBO DNA-free (Ambion, Austin, US). cDNA was prepared by reverse transcription using AMV reverse transcriptase (Promega, Madison, US). qRT-PCR was performed on a StepOne Plus apparatus (Applied Biosystems, Forster City, US) using Fast SYBR Green Master Mix (Applied Biosystems, Forster City, US). The ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 18 gene (UBC18; Bradi4g00660) was used as a reference gene to normalize the samples (Hong et al (2008) BMC plant biology, 8, 112). Relative gene expression change was calculated using the delta-delta Ct method. Error bars represent the standard error of three biological replicates, which are the mean of three technical replicates. The following primers were used for qRT-PCR: Bradi2g59187 (F: 5′-AAATCCAAGATATTGGCAAAACG-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 19), R: 5′-CCTTAGGCTCACTGGAGTTCTCA-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 20), Bradi2g59120 (F: 5′-CCGGCAAGCTCTACGAGTACTC-3′(SEQ ID NO: 21), R: 5′-GCTCCCGCAAATTGCTGAT-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 22), Bradi3g41297 (F: 5′-CAATCTGAGGATGAAGGTGTCACA-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 23), R: 5′-GCTTGACAAGTTGTTCGCTTTCT-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 24)) and UBC18 (F: 5′-GTCGACTTCCCCGAGCATTA-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 25), R: 5′-ATAGGCGCCGGGTTGAG-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 26)).

Example 2—FLOWERING LOCUS C Orthologs are Present in Monocots

The conservation of gene order between species and between duplicated genomic segments can provide insights into the evolutionary history of genes. Such information can complement phylogenies as an independent source of evidence for evolutionary relationships between paralogous (duplicated) gene lineages (Tang et al (2010) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 107, 472), including MADS-box genes (Causier et al (2010) Mol. Biol. Evol. 27, 2651). Therefore, we studied genomic locations of MIKC-type MADS-box genes in phylogenetically informative flowering plant genomes. To this end, we identified evolutionary conserved tandem arrangements for members of different MADS-box gene subfamilies. We observed that members of the SEP1 and SQUA as well as SEP3 and FLC subfamilies are arranged in tandem in several core eudicot genomes (FIG. 1). While members of the SQUA subfamily are exclusively next to members of the SEP1 subclade, FLC genes are consistently next to members of the SEP3 subclade.

SQUA and SEP1 tandem arrangements can also be identified in monocot genomes (FIG. 1). Interestingly, in monocots we identified tandems of SEP3 with MADS-box genes that are currently annotated as ‘monocot-specific’ and being related to type I or MIKC*-type MADS-box genes (Kim et al (2007) Plant Physiol. 145, 1484; Arora et al. (2007) BMC Genomics 8, 242) which are evolutionarily more ancient and structurally different lineages of MADS-box genes. The genomic position of these genes, however, suggests that they represent members of the FLC subfamily in monocots. Indeed, in the phylogeny these enigmatic monocot genes group with FLC genes from core eudicots with high bootstrap support (99 BS, 1.00 BPP, FIG. 2). This indicates that these genes were previously misclassified FLC orthologs in monocots. The FLC monocot clade itself is strongly supported (100 BS, 1.00 BPP) and consists solely of genes from Poaceae, except for MpFLC (Musa paradisiaca, Musaceae). In the order Poales, we identified two major FLC clades, which we will refer to as OsMADS37-like genes and OsMADS51-like genes. The fact that both rice and sorghum have duplicate FLC copies could be explained by the putative whole-genome duplication 56-72 million years ago (mya) termed “rho”, which occurred prior to the divergence of the major grass lineages (Tang et al (2010) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 107, 472; Initiative IBG (2010) Nature 463, 763). Subsequently, one of these lineages underwent a tandem duplication, apparently prior to the origin of Pooideae. These monocot-specific duplications resulted in three FLC clades in temperate grasses and two major lineages in the order Poales (Greenup et al. (2010) Plant Physiol. 153, 1062). The monocot FLC genes are characterized by divergent, short protein sequences, which probably made it difficult to identify them through traditional similarity searches, such as BLAST (Reeves et al (2007) Genetics 176, 295).

The coding sequence of the Triticum aestivum FLC gene MADS2 is given in SEQ ID NO: 1, and the encoded protein in SEQ ID NO: 2. The coding sequence of the Triticum aestivum FLC gene TaAGL42 is given in SEQ ID NO: 3, and the encoded protein in SEQ ID NO: 4. The coding sequence of the Triticum aestivum FLC gene TaAGL41 is given in SEQ ID NO: 5, and the encoded protein in SEQ ID NO: 6. The coding sequence of the Triticum aestivum FLC gene TaAGL33 is given in SEQ ID NO: 7, and the encoded protein in SEQ ID NO: 8. The coding sequence of the Triticum aestivum FLC gene TaAGL12 is given in SEQ ID NO: 9, and the encoded protein in SEQ ID NO: 10. The coding sequence of the Triticum aestivum FLC gene TaAGL22 is given in SEQ ID NO: 11, and the encoded protein in SEQ ID NO: 12. The coding sequence of the Brachypodium distachyon FLC gene MADS37 is given in SEQ ID NO: 134. The coding sequence of the Brachypodium distachyon FLC gene ODDSOC1 is given in SEQ ID NO: 15, and the encoded protein in SEQ ID NO: 16. The coding sequence of the Brachypodium distachyon FLC gene ODDSOC2 is given in SEQ ID NO: 17, and the encoded protein in SEQ ID NO: 18. FLC genes from other monocot species in the same clade and their accession numbers are incidated in table 1.

TABLE 1 FLC genes from monocot species and their accession number. Species Gene name Identifier Triticum aestivum MADS2 JN248615 Triticum aestivum TaAGL33 DQ512366.1 Triticum aestivum TaAGL41 DQ512357 Triticum aestivum TaAGL42 DQ512358.1 Triticum aestivum TaAGL12 AB007505.1 Triticum aestivum TaAGL22 DQ512365.1 Avena barbata AbFLC GR360557 Hordeum vulgare HvODDSOC2 HM130526.1 Dactylis glomerata DgFLC HO164248 Hordeum vulgare HvODDSOC1 HM130525 Brachypodium distachyon Bradi2g59120 Bradi2g59120 Brachypodium distachyon Bradi3g41300 Bradi3g41300 Brachypodium distachyon Bradi2g59190 Bradi2g59190 Oryza sativa OsMADS512 HC084629 Oryza sativa OSsMADS37 Os08g41960 Sorghum bicolor SbFLC2 Sb03g044170 Sorghum bicolor SbFLC1 Sb07g026180 Panicum virgatum PvFLC2 FL926484.1 Panicum virgatum PvFLC1 FL799640 Cynodon dactylon CdFLC ES295415.1 Setaria italica Si014540m Si014540m Saccharum hybrid ShFLC CA295053 Zea mays ZmMADS77 GRMZM2G098986 Zea mays ZmMADS54 GRMZM2G320549 Zea mays ZMM22 GRMZM2G052045 Musa paradisiaca MpFLC FL658504

In recent studies, several members of the OsMADS51 clade have been shown to function in vernalization controlled flowering in temperate grasses similar to FLC-like genes in core-eudicots (FIG. 4) (Greenup et al. (2010) Plant Physiol. 153, 1062; Winfield et al (2009) BMC Plant Biol. 9, 55; WO2006/068432). To our knowledge, no members of the OsMADS37 clade have previously been investigated. To understand the cold regulation of the different FLC paralogs in more detail, we monitored their expression level in the temperate grass model Brachypodium distachyon after 2, 4 and 6 weeks of prolonged cold (4° C.) using qRT-PCR. The expression of BdMADS37 (Bradi3g41297, previously annotated as Bradi3g41300) decreases gradually during vernalization (FIG. 3a ). The expression of the OsMADS51-like gene BdODDSOC2 (Bradi2g59187, previously annotated as Bradi2g59190) is more rapidly downregulated by vernalization and a minimal expression level is reached already after 2 weeks of cold, or possibly sooner, and remained stable in subsequent weeks (FIG. 3c ). The expression of BdODDSOC1 (Bradi2g59120) does not appear responsive to a vernalization treatment (FIGS. 3b and 3d ). In conclusion, Brachypodium FLC-like paralogs are responsive to prolonged cold exposure, but the nature of the response differs both qualitatively and quantitatively between paralogs.

The origin and functional diversification of developmental control genes is thought to be a major prerequisite for the evolution of complex morphologies in eukaryotes. We elucidated the origin of the FLC MADS-box gene subfamily. This subfamily has essential roles in floral transition and flower development: where FLC genes have mainly been shown to act as vernalization-responsive floral repressors in eudicots.

The concept of vernalization originates from the early observation that winter varieties of cereals require prolonged cold to flower, while spring varieties flower soon after sowing (Chouard (1960) Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 11, 191). Using a combined approach of synteny and phylogeny reconstruction, we were able to unambiguously identify FLC-like genes in monocots. This opens the possibility of translating the findings for FLC in Arabidopsis to cereal crops. The absence of FLC genes in monocots has previously been used as a major argument to claim an independent origin of vernalization response in these taxa (Chouard (1960) Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 11, 191; Alexandre & Hennig (2008) J. Exp. Bot. 59, 1127; Kim et al (2009) Annu. Rev. Cell Dev. Biol. 25, 277).

The results of functional analyses of some members of the OsMADS51 clade (FIG. 4), and also our expression data, indicate that members of the FLC subfamily are controlled by vernalization in temperate grasses, similar to FLC in Arabidopsis. Some aspects of FLC regulation and functions may thus be conserved throughout angiosperms. Even more intriguingly, some members of the SQUA subfamily, which is sister to FLC, are also regulated by vernalization, although in a positive manner. Examples include VERNALIZATION1 (VRN1) in the vernalization-sensitive grass species Triticum aestivum (Kim et al (2009) Annu. Rev. Cell Dev. Biol. 25, 277; Yan et al (2003) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100, 6263) or APETALA1 and FRUITFULL in Arabidopsis thaliana whose transcript levels change in response to cold (Hannah et al (2005) PLoS Genet 1, e26). However, since also members of other MADS-box gene subfamilies, such as STMADS11-like genes in grasses (Kane et al. (2005) Plant Physiology, 138, 2354), are controlled by vernalization, this type of temperature-dependent regulation may have evolved multiple times independently.

Example 3—Modulating Expression of FLOWERING LOCUS C Modulates Flowering Time and Seed Germination in Brachypodium Distachion and in Wheat

BdMADS37, BdODDSOC1 and BdODDSOC2 (full length or fragments) are cloned into a vector for overexpression, and are cloned in a vector for downregulation (sense and/or antisense) of the endogenous BdMADS37, BdODDSOC1 and BdODDSOC2 genes. Brachypodium distachion or wheat is transformed with the vectors and flowering time and seed germination is evaluated under various temperatures and time periods.

When BdMADS37 (SEQ ID NO: 27), BdODDSOC1 or BdODDSOC2 are overexpressed in Brachypodium or wheat, flowering time is delayed, and seed germination is accelerated. When BdMADS37, BdODDSOC1 or BdODDSOC2 are downregulated, flowering time is accelerated and seed germination is delayed.

TaAGL12, TaAGL42, TaAGL41, TaAGL33, TaAGL22 and MADS2 (full length or fragments) are cloned into a vector for overexpression, and are cloned in a vector for downregulation (sense and/or antisense) of the endogenous TaAGL12, TaAGL42, TaAGL41, TaAGL33, TaAGL22 and MADS2 genes. Wheat or Brachypodium is transformed with the vectors and flowering time and seed germination is evaluated under various temperatures and time periods.

When TaAGL42, TaAGL41, TaAGL33, TaAGL22 or MADS2 are overexpressed in Brachypodium or wheat, flowering time is delayed, and seed germination is accelerated. When TaAGL42, TaAGL41, TaAGL33, TaAGL22, or MADS2 are downregulated, flowering time is accelerated and seed germination is delayed. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for delaying temperature dependent flowering in a monocot plant comprising increasing the expression of a Flowering Locus C (FLC) gene and/or FLC protein by introducing a nucleic acid molecule in said plant, wherein the nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 7 or 17, or comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding an amino acid sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 8 or 18, wherein delaying flowering in said monocot plant is compared to flowering of a control plant wherein said expression of said FLC gene or said FLC protein has not been increased.
 2. A method for producing a monocot plant in which temperature dependent flowering is delayed, said method comprising expressing in said plant a nucleic acid molecule that increases the expression of an Flowering Locus C (FLC) gene and/or FLC protein in said plant, wherein the nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 7 or 17, or comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding an amino acid sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 8 or 18, wherein delayed flowering in said monocot plant is compared to flowering of a control plant wherein said expression of said FLC gene or said FLC protein has not been increased.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method comprises expressing in said plant, plant part, plant organ or plant cell a chimeric gene comprising the following operably linked elements: i. a plant-expressible promoter, ii. the nucleic acid molecule of claim 1, and iii. optionally, a 3′ end region functional in plants.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said monocot plant is a cereal plant.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleotide sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 7, or 17 or comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding an amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 8, or
 18. 6. A chimeric gene as described in claim
 3. 7. A plant, plant part, plant organ, plant cell or seed comprising the chimeric gene of claim
 6. 8. A monocot plant, plant part, plant organ, plant cell or seed, obtainable according to the methods of claim 1, wherein the expression of an FLC gene and/or protein has been increased as compared to a control plant.
 9. The plant of claim 7, wherein said FLC protein has at least 95% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 8, or 18, or wherein said FLC protein is encoded by a nucleotide sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 7, or
 17. 10. The plant of claim 7, which is a cereal plant.
 11. The method according to claim 2, wherein said method comprises expressing in said plant, plant part, plant organ or plant cell a chimeric gene comprising the following operably linked elements: i. a plant-expressible promoter, ii. the nucleic acid molecule of claim 2, and iii. optionally, a 3′ end region functional in plants.
 12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said nucleic acid molecule encodes an FLC protein.
 13. The method according to claim 2, wherein said nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleotide sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 7, or 17, or comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding an amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 8, or
 18. 14. The method according to claim 2, wherein said plant is a cereal plant.
 15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleotide sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 7, or 17 or comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding an amino acid sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 8, or
 18. 16. The method according to claim 2, wherein the nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleotide sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 7, or 17 or comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding an amino acid sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 8, or
 18. 17. The method according to claim 1, wherein said monocot plant is corn, barley, wheat, spelt, rye, or oats.
 18. The method according to claim 1, wherein said monocot plant is wheat.
 19. The method according to claim 1, wherein said monocot plant is a winter variety of wheat or barley.
 20. The method according to claim 2, wherein said monocot plant is corn, barley, wheat, spelt, rye, or oats.
 21. The method according to claim 2, wherein said monocot plant is wheat.
 22. The method according to claim 2, wherein said monocot plant is a winter variety of wheat or barley. 